when pigs fly
Meaning: Never.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “He'll clean the garage when pigs fly.”
Category: Animals
Origin: Pigs are heavy and earthbound, so their flight is the standard image of the impossible. Scottish versions from the 16th century speak of pigs flying, and Lewis Carroll played with the idea in Alice.
Other ways to say this
- Russian: Когда рак на горе свистнет (Kogda rak na gore svistnet) — literally: When a crayfish whistles on the mountain
- French: Quand les poules auront des dents — literally: When hens have teeth
- Russian: После дождичка в четверг (Posle dozhdichka v chetverg) — literally: After the little rain on Thursday
- Portuguese: Nem que a vaca tussa — literally: Not even if the cow coughs
- English: at latter Lammas
- Italian: alle calende greche — literally: on the Greek calends
- English: when hell freezes over
- French: Aux calendes grecques — literally: At the Greek calends
- French: À la Saint-Glinglin — literally: On Saint Glinglin's day
More idioms — Animals
- not turn a hair — To show no reaction at all.
- two men and a dog — A very small crowd.
- has the cat got your tongue? — Said to someone who stays silent when they should speak.
- a scapegoat — Someone blamed for others' faults.
- poor as a church mouse — Extremely poor.
- the law of the jungle — A situation where the strongest or most ruthless win.
More English idioms
- mark my words — Remember what I am telling you; it will turn out to be true.
- lead someone up the garden path — To deceive someone, keeping them hopeful along the way.
- packed like sardines — Crowded very tightly together.
- give someone the runaround — To put someone off with excuses instead of a straight answer.
- pin the blame on someone — To make someone take responsibility for a fault, often unfairly.
- let the grass grow under one's feet — To waste time and miss opportunities.
From our compliments & insults
- Che piagnucolone — A relentless crybaby who finds something to complain about in every situation.
- È un orso — Gruff, anti-social, and impossible to approach — they growl when spoken to and hibernate…
- Faulpelz — A lazybones — someone who lounges around and avoids any effort, as warm and inert as a fu…