In language, idioms are like colorful gems that add sparkle to conversations. They go beyond literal meanings, painting vivid pictures and expressing ideas creatively.
Some idioms capture situations unlikely to happen, like trying to fit an elephant into a shoebox or expecting pigs to fly. Let’s explore these playful expressions together!
Idioms for Never Going to Happen
1. When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: My little brother said he’d clean his room when pigs fly.
Other Ways to Say: When hell freezes over, When donkeys fly
2. Until the cows come home
Meaning: For a very long time or indefinitely
In a Sentence: Sarah can talk about her favorite book series until the cows come home.
Other Ways to Say: Forever and a day, Until kingdom come
3. When hell freezes over
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: My sister said she’ll let me borrow her favorite dress when hell freezes over.
Other Ways to Say: When pigs fly, When donkeys fly
4. When monkeys fly out of my butt
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: Dad said he’d buy me a pony when monkeys fly out of my butt.
Other Ways to Say: When pigs fly, When hell freezes over
5. In a month of Sundays
Meaning: Something that will never happen or a very long time
In a Sentence: Cleaning my room will take me in a month on Sundays!
Other Ways to Say: Forever and a day, Until the cows come home
6. When the sun rises in the west
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: Mom said I can have a pet alligator when the sun rises in the west.
Other Ways to Say: When pigs fly, When hell freezes over
7. Wish upon a star
Meaning: An unlikely or impossible wish
In a Sentence: I wish I could fly, but I know it’s just a wish upon a star.
Other Ways to Say: Dream on, Pie in the sky
8. Snowball’s chance in hell
Meaning: Very little chance of success
In a Sentence: He has a snowball’s chance in hell of passing the test without studying.
Other Ways to Say: Slim to none, Fat chance
9. When the moon turns blue
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: You’ll get me to eat broccoli when the moon turns blue!
Other Ways to Say: When pigs fly, When hell freezes over
10. When fish climb trees
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: I’ll finish my homework when fish climb trees!
Other Ways to Say: When pigs fly, When hell freezes over
11. When the cows come home
Meaning: For a very long time or indefinitely
In a Sentence: Billy’s been playing video games until the cows come home.
Other Ways to Say: Forever and a day, Until kingdom come
12. Until kingdom come
Meaning: For a very long time or indefinitely
In a Sentence: You’ll be grounded until the kingdom comes if you don’t finish your chores.
Other Ways to Say: Forever and a day, Until the cows come home
13. Until you’re blue in the face
Meaning: To do something unsuccessfully for a long time
In a Sentence: You can argue with your brother until you’re blue in the face, but he won’t change his mind.
Other Ways to Say: Until the cows come home, Until kingdom come
14. Until the end of time
Meaning: For eternity or indefinitely
In a Sentence: I promise to love you until the end of time.
Other Ways to Say: Forever and a day, Until the cows come home
15. As likely as catching the wind
Meaning: Something very unlikely to happen
In a Sentence: Winning the lottery is as likely as catching the wind.
Other Ways to Say: As rare as hen’s teeth, As likely as pigs flying
16. If pigs had wings
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: Billy thinks he can beat me in basketball if pigs had wings!
Other Ways to Say: When hell freezes over, When monkeys fly out of my butt
17. At the end of the rainbow
Meaning: Something that doesn’t exist or is impossible to find
In a Sentence: Finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is just a myth.
Other Ways to Say: Pie in the sky, When pigs fly
18. In a million years
Meaning: Something that will never happen or a very long time
In a Sentence: I won’t finish my dessert in a million years!
Other Ways to Say: Forever and a day, Until the cows come home
19. In a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely
In a Sentence: We only get to eat pizza in a blue moon.
Other Ways to Say: Once in a blue moon, Rare as hen’s teeth
20. As rare as hen’s teeth
Meaning: Something extremely rare or unlikely
In a Sentence: Finding a four-leaf clover is as rare as a hen’s teeth.
Other Ways to Say: Once in a blue moon, As likely as catching the wind
21. Out of the blue
Meaning: Something unexpected
In a Sentence: Mom surprised us with ice cream out of the blue.
Other Ways to Say: Out of nowhere, Like a bolt from the blue
22. A snowball’s chance in hell
Meaning: Very little chance of success
In a Sentence: She has a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the race without practicing.
Other Ways to Say: Slim to none, Fat chance
23. When the stars align
Meaning: When everything falls into place perfectly
In a Sentence: I’ll ask Sarah out when the stars align and everything is just right.
Other Ways to Say: When pigs fly, When hell freezes over
24. Until pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen
In a Sentence: I’ll clean my room until pigs fly!
Other Ways to Say: When hell freezes over, When monkeys fly out of my butt
25. When the cat’s away, the mice will play
Meaning: People will misbehave when there’s no one to supervise them
In a Sentence: The students know that when the teacher leaves the classroom, the mice will play.
Other Ways to Say: When the boss is away, The employees will play
26. It’s raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Raining very heavily
In a Sentence: We can’t go to the park today, it’s raining cats and dogs!
Other Ways to Say: It’s pouring rain, It’s coming down in buckets
27. When the coast is clear
Meaning: When there is no danger or obstacle
In a Sentence: We’ll sneak into the kitchen when the coast is clear and Mom isn’t watching.
Other Ways to Say: When all is said and done, When the way is clear
28. Catching lightning in a bottle
Meaning: Capturing something extremely rare or elusive
In a Sentence: Finding true love can feel like catching lightning in a bottle.
Other Ways to Say: Catching a unicorn, Capturing a shooting star
29. Needle in a haystack
Meaning: Something very difficult to find
In a Sentence: Finding my lost earring in the sand was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Other Ways to Say: Like finding a pin in a haystack, Like searching for a diamond in a coal mine
30. A fish out of water
Meaning: Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
In a Sentence: Sarah felt like a fish out of water at the new school until she made friends.
Other Ways to Say: A square peg in a round hole, Like a duck out of water
31. A shot in the dark
Meaning: A wild guess or attempt with little chance of success
In a Sentence: Taking a different route to school was just a shot in the dark, but it worked out!
Other Ways to Say: A stab in the dark, A leap of faith
32. A wild goose chase
Meaning: A pointless pursuit or search
In a Sentence: Trying to find my missing sock turned into a wild goose chase.
Other Ways to Say: Chasing shadows, A fool’s errand
33. When all is said and done
Meaning: After everything has been considered or done
In a Sentence: When all is said and done, we’ll see who the winner of the contest is.
Other Ways to Say: In the final analysis, At the end of the day
34. When push comes to shove
Meaning: When a situation becomes difficult or urgent
In a Sentence: We’ll see who your real friends are when push comes to shove.
Other Ways to Say: When the going gets tough, When the chips are down
35. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Something that is very common or easy to find
In a Sentence: Those cheap toys are a dime a dozen at the store.
Other Ways to Say: Ten a penny, Two a penny
Exercise to practice
- Sarah said she would finish her vegetables _________.
- Billy promised he’d clean his room _________.
- Mom told Dad he could buy a sports car _________.
- Timmy claimed he’d become a superhero _________.
- Grandma said she’d learn to skateboard _________.
- Jake insisted he’d win the lottery _________.
- Lily vowed she’d climb Mount Everest _________.
- Mr. Johnson joked he’d teach his dog to talk _________.
- Emily bet she’d swim across the ocean _________.
- The teacher said the test would be easy _________.
- The coach promised the team would win every game _________.
- John’s mom said he could have a pet dinosaur _________.
Answers:
- When pigs fly.
- Until the cows come home.
- When hell freezes over.
- When the moon turns blue.
- In a month of Sundays.
- If pigs had wings.
- In a million years.
- When monkeys fly out of my butt.
- Until kingdom comes.
- As likely as catching the wind.
- A snowball’s chance in hell.
- When the sun rises in the west.
Conclusion
In conclusion, idioms add fun and color to our language. They help us express ideas in creative ways and make conversations more interesting. The idioms we’ve explored today show us that sometimes, we use expressions to talk about things that are unlikely to happen. Whether it’s pigs flying or the moon turning blue, these idioms make us smile and understand each other better.
So, next time you hear one of these funny sayings, remember, that it’s just a playful way of expressing something that’s never going to happen!