bring one’s pigs to a bad market—(UK dated) be unsuccessful; fail in an undertaking (also: bring one’s eggs to a bad market):
- Yet, desirous as the schoolmaster might be to send the spectators away in good humor, he brought his eggs to a bad market.
bring one’s pigs to a fine market—(ironic) = bring one’s pigs to a bad market:
- In our way to our lodging, after a profound silence on both sides, Strap, with a hideous groan, observed that we had brought our pigs to a fine market.
Note: Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase drive one’s pigs to market—(UK dated) snore loudly:
- The sleeping men … went on driving their pigs to market for all they were worth.