![When pigs fly / When hell freezes over (1) When pigs fly / When hell freezes over (1)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
The idioms of this page are used to indicate that something is highly unlikely ever to happen, or that it will never happen. This phrase is thought to come from an old Scottish proverb.
An unofficial symbol of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio in the USA is a flying pig, partly a result of Cincinnati's associations with the pig trade during the 19th century.
Language | Idiom |
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Arabic | (fil mushmush) في المشمش in the season of the apricot (a very short season) |
Arabic (Algerian) | عندما يزهر الملح في بلادنا when salt blossoms in my country |
Arabic (Egyptian) | لمّا توقف على عيدك When you stand on your hand |
Arabic (Moroccan) | (ila tarat maza) الا طارت معزة If goats fly (nhar limando khoh) النهار لمعندو خوه The day doesn’t have a brother |
Belarusian | Як воўк брахаць хвастом будзе (Jak voŭk brahać hvastom budz′e) Like a wolf wagging its tail |
Bosnian | Kad na vrbi rodi grožđe When grapes rippen on the willow |
Bulgarian | На куково лято (Na kukovo ljato) In a cuckoo summer |
Catalan | Quan les vaques volin When cows fly La setmana dels tres dijous The week with 3 Thursdays |
Chinese | 除非太陽從西邊出來 [除非太阳从西边出来] (chúfēi tàiyáng cóng xībiān chūlái) Unless the sun would rise from the West |
Croatian | Kad na vrbi rodi grožđe When grapes rippen the on willow Na sveto nigdarjevo On St. Nobody's day |
Czech | Až naprší a uschne After it rains and dries Až na svatého Dyndy / Na svatého Dyndy On the St. Elsewhen's day 'Dyndy' is a non-existent name in Czech, rhyming with the Czech word 'jindy', meaning some other time. |
Danish | Når helvede fryser til is When hell freezes over Når der er to torsdage i en uge When there's two Thursdays in a week |
Dutch | Wanneer Pasen en Pinksteren op één dag vallen When Easter and Whitsun fall on the same day Met Sint Juttemis With St. Juttemis (an imaginary saint) Als de kalveren op het ijs dansen If the calves dance on ice Als de uilen preken If the owls preach |
English | When pigs fly / and pigs might fly When hell freezes over On a cold day in hell Not in a month of Sundays |
Esperanto | En la triĵaŭda semajno On the week with three thursdays |
Estonian | Kui sead lendavad When pig's fly |
Finnish | Kun helvetti jäätyy When hell freezes over Kun lehmät lentävät When cows fly Kun lipputangot kukkivat When flagpoles bloom |
French | Quand les poules auront des dents When chicken have teeth la semaine des 4 jeudis the week with 4 Thursdays - (French school children used to get Thursdays off) à la Saint Glinglin On Saint Glinglin's day (an imaginary saint) Dans la semaine des quatre jeudis In the week of the four Thursdays |
German | Wenn Ostern und Pfingsten auf einen Tag fallen When Easter and Whistun fall on the same day Am Sankt Nimmerleinstag / an Sankt Nimmerlein On Saint Never's day / on Saint Never Wenn die Hölle zufriert When Hell freezes over Wenn es im Sommer schneit When it snows in summer |
Hindi | sooraj pashchim se ugega When the sun will rise in the west |
Hungarian | Majd ha piros hó esik When it's snowing red snowflakes Majd ha cigánygyerekek potyognak az égből When gipsy children are streaming from the sky Majd ha a pokol befa*gy When Hell freezes over |
Irish | Nuair a thitfidh an spéir an talamh When the sky falls to the ground Nuair a thiocfaidh an lá inné ar ais When yesterday comes again |
Italian | Alle calende greche By the Greek calendar Quando voleranno gli asini When donkeys will fly Quando Pasqua viene a maggio When Easter falls in May L'anno del mai / L'anno del mai e il mese del poi The year of never and the month of then Nella settimana dei due giovedì In the week with two thursdays Quanno pisceno le galline When hens piss (Roman dialect) |
Korean | 귀신 씨나락 까먹는 소리 (gwishin ssinarak kkamuhkneun sori) The sound of a ghost eating rice seeds 개 풀 뜯어먹는 소리 (gaehpul tteuduhmuhkneun sori) The sound of a dog grazing |
Latin | Ad kalendas Graecas on the Greek Kalends - unlike the Roman calendar, Kalends did not feature in the Greek calendar, so this phrase is roughly equivalent to "at British Thanksgiving" (Thanksgiving is not celebrated in the UK). |
Latvian | Kad pūcei aste ziedēs When the owl's tail blossoms Kad slotaskātam lapas plauks When the broomstick's leaves open |
Luxembourgish | Wann Päischten op Neijôrsdag fällt When Whistun and New Year's Day fall on the same day |
Macedonian | Кога врбата ќе роди грозје (Koga vrbata ke rodi grozye) When grapes will grow on willows На куково лето (Na kukovo leto) In the year of the cuckoo |
Malayalam | kākka malannu parakkum The crow will fly upside down kozhikku mula varumpol (When the hen has a breast) |
Norwegian | Når griser flyr When pigs fly Når det snør i helvete When it's snowing in hell |
Occitan | Quand las galinas pissaran When hens will pee |
Odia | ଆକାଶ କଇଆଁ ଚିଲିକା ମାଛ (ākāso kaiā̃ chilikā māchho) The tamarind from the sky will be brought to cook the fish from the Chilika lake |
Persian (Farsi) | (vaghte gole ney) وقت گل نی |
Polish | Na Święty Nigdy on Saint Never's Day Kiedy mi kaktus na ręku wyrośnie When the cactus will grow on my hand |
Portuguese | Quando a vaca tussa / quando a vaca tossir When the cow coughs No Dia de São Nunca On Saint Never's day |
Romanian | la Paştele cailor at horses' Easter la Sfântu-aşteaptă on Saint Wait's day/at Saint Wait când o zbura porcul when the pig should fly când o face plopul pere when the linden tree bears pears când o face plopul pere şi răchita micşunele when the linden tree bears pears and the willow wall-flowers când mi-oi vedea ceafa when I'll see the back of my head La Paştele cailor şi la nunta vacilor At Easter of the horses and at the wedding of the cows |
Russian | Когда рак на горе свистнет (Kogda rak na gore svisnet) When the crayfish on the hill whistles |
Scots | Whaun twa munes in the lift sall shine When two moons in the sky shall shine |
Serbian | Kad na vrbi rodi grožđe When grapes grow on willows |
Slovenian | Ob svetem nikoli On Saint Never's Day |
Spanish | Cuando las ranas críen pelo When frogs grow hair El día del arquero Goalkeeper's day Cuando llueva para arriba When it rains upwards |
Swedish | När grisar flyger When pigs fly När helvetet fryser till is When hell freezes over Hear these phrases |
Tagalog | Pagputi ng uwak When the crow turns white Pag-itim ng tagak When the heron turns black |
Thai | ตอนเซเว่นปิด (ton sē wēn pit) when the 7-11 is closed ชาติหน้า (chāt nha) next lifetime |
Turkish | Balık ağaca/kavağa çıkınca When a fish climbs a poplar tree |
Ukrainian | коли рак на горі свисне (koly rak na gori svisne) when the crayfish on the hill whistles коли воша пчихне (koly voša pčyxne) when louse will sneeze |
Vietnamese | (cho đến) Tết Marốc (until a) Moroccan Tet (Tet is Vietnamese New Year) |
Welsh | Pan fydd moch yn hedfan When pigs fly Pan fydd uffern yn rhewi drosodd When hell freezes over Pan fydd 'Dolig yn yr haf, a gwsberis yn y gaeaf When Christmas will be in the summer and goosberries in winter |
Yoruba | Ní ìgbátí adìẹ́ bá hu eyín When the chicken has teeth |
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More idioms
It's all Greek to me | It's raining cats and dogs | As easy as falling off a log | A sandwich short of a picnic | It's small world | When pigs fly | Out of sight, out of mind | Crystal-clear | Penny Pinching | Practice makes perfect | The grass is always greener | As Snug as a Bug in a Rug
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FAQs
Events that can never happen
What is the old saying when pigs fly? ›
"When pigs fly" is an adynaton, a way of saying that something will never happen. The phrase is often used for humorous effect, to scoff at over-ambition. There are numerous variations on the theme; when an individual with a reputation for failure finally succeeds, onlookers may sarcastically claim to see a flying pig.
What's another phrase for when pigs fly? ›
What is another word for when pigs fly?
not on your nelly | no way |
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definitely not | in no circ*mstances |
not under any circ*mstances | not for love or money |
by no means | certainly not |
in no way | not in the slightest |
33 more rows
Where did the phrase when hell freezes over come from? ›
This saying appears to have originated around the 1910s and first appeared in print in 1919. It was a favorite expression of both P.G. Wodehouse and F. Scott Fitzgerald - the latter often ended his letters with "Yours till hell freezes over".
What's another way to say when hell freezes over? ›
What is another word for when hell freezes over?
no chance | moonshot |
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dog's chance | faint hope |
poor bet | unexpected winner |
improbability | unlikelihood |
also-ran | scapegoat |
26 more rows
What's the saying about pigs flying? ›
The phrase 'When Pigs Fly' refers to something that is highly unlikely to ever happen. Example of use: "I might wake up early tomorrow to clean my room". "Yes, you'll do that when pigs fly".
What does the phrase pigs may fly mean? ›
Meaning: A sarcastic remark used to indicate that an event is very unlikely and/or to question the credulity of someone. For example, "he said that he'd tidy his room today," to which somebody might reply "... and pigs might fly" or other variations such as "when pigs fly" and "oh look, I think I saw a flying pig."
When pigs fly is an example of idiom? ›
It's impossible, which is precisely what the expression means. We say it as a response when someone tells us something that we think is impossible or very unlikely. For example, if person A says “Do you think Mary will quit her job now that she's pregnant?” and person B responds “Yeah, when pigs fly!
What is the idiom for useless person? ›
As useless as a screen door on a submarine. As useless as a glass hammer. As useless as a one-legged man at an arse-kicking contest.
What is a word for an impossible task? ›
absurd, futile, hopeless, impassable, impractical, inaccessible, inconceivable, insurmountable, preposterous, unattainable, unimaginable, unreasonable, unthinkable, unworkable, useless.
Events that can never happen
As a response to an unlikely proposition, "when pigs fly", "when pigs have wings", or simply "pigs might fly". "When Hell freezes over" and "on a cold day in Hell" are based on the understanding that Hell is eternally an extremely hot place. The "Twelfth of Never" will never come to pass.
Who said until hell freezes over? ›
AMBASSADOR STEVENSON: I am prepared to wait for my answer until hell freezes over, if that's your decision....
What does it mean if hell freezes over? ›
idiom. informal + impolite. used to say that one thinks that something will never happen.
What is the idiom of till hell freezes over? ›
phrase [PHRASE after verb] If you say that you will do something until hell freezes over, you are emphasizing that you will do it for a very long time or for ever. [emphasis] He says he'll sit there until hell freezes over before he'll pay them one cent.
What is a word for something that would never happen? ›
Something that we never thought would happen” would be “an impossibility” or “an improbability.” You could also describe that thing as “implausible,” “inconceivable” or “*nthinkable.”
What is a metaphor for a difficult task? ›
Climb a Steep Hill
Meaning: Undertake a challenging task that requires a lot of effort and determination. Example: “Learning a new language is like climbing a steep hill, but the rewards are worth it.”
What is the old saying hogs get slaughtered? ›
I've written a few times about the adage 'pigs get fed and hogs get slaughtered. ' The meaning (as it applies to business) is simply that it's okay to make a profit, but when that profit is the result of price gouging and/or taking advantage of people, you'll eventually lose in the end. Being a pig is good.
What is the quote about pigs in Lord of the Flies? ›
"Kill the Pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." Jack and the hunters chant this as they return with the dead pig. This chant is violent and triumphant as Jack finally gets what he was looking for: a kill.
What is the old saying pigs ear? ›
Make a pig's ear' is a mid 20th century phrase and means 'completely botch something up; make a complete mess of it'. ... The expression derives from the old proverb 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear', which dates from the 16th century.
What does if pigs had wings they would fly mean? ›
Proverb. if pigs had wings they would fly. (colloquial) Expresses skepticism toward a hypothetical argument by another.