EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR HOGSHEAD
They have brought a hogshead of beer, and are broaching it upon the high altar.
When in hospital, chance had given him Hogshead Geoffrey for bed-neighbour.
Then, to repeat my interrogatory, what was you a doing of with the kitten in the hogshead?
I wish Mr. Schultz were in a hogshead of it, with the top on.
The utmost of his generosity to Amhurst, that I ever heard of, was a hogshead of claret!
Your representative has agreed that you shall give a hogshead.
But be reasonable, and leave me the sixth hogshead at least.
When you want to see M. "Hogshead" Geoffroy, your procedure is simplicity itself.
"Pay for a drink, and I'll listen to you," said Hogshead Geoffroy to his sister.
The destroyer seeks his victim alike in every hogshead, and in every glass.
WORD ORIGIN
"large cask or barrel," late 14c., presumably on some perceived resemblance. The original liquid measure was 63 old wine gallons (by a statute of 1423); later anywhere from 100 to 140 gallons. Borrowed into other Germanic languages, oddly, as ox-head (cf. Dutch okshoofd, German oxhoft, Swedish oxhufvud).