When pigs fly / When hell freezes over (2024)

FAQs

When hell freezes over, when pigs fly? ›

“When pigs fly”, or “pigs might fly” if you prefer, is a way of saying something will never happen, akin to “when hell freezes over”. It is what we call a Adynaton: an exaggerated/hyperbolic figure of speech taken to such lengths as to suggest a complete impossibility.

Definition: It's impossible for pigs to fly, so when someone says this, they are saying that something will (most likely) never happen. Examples: “I might wake up early to clean my room…” “Yeah right, you'll do that when pigs fly.” “I've already told you; I will learn to dance when pigs can fly.”

The phrase "when pigs fly" (alternatively, "pigs might fly") is an adynaton—a figure of speech so hyperbolic that it describes an impossibility. The implication of such a phrase is that the circ*mstances in question (the adynaton, and the circ*mstances to which the adynaton is being applied) will never occur.

If you say that something will happen when hell freezes over, you mean that it will never happen. Always & never. again. all along idiom.

The idiom 'when pigs fly' means that something is unlikely to happen. This has a very negative tone and when you use it in a sentence, it can be very offensive. It is especially problematic if you start to address someone formally and then bluntly use such an informal idiom.

The original version of the 'pigs might fly' was 'pigs fly with their tails forward', which is first found in a list of proverbs in the 1616 . The phrase “pigs might fly” or “pigs may fly” has been used in various forms since the 1600s, when it was said that “pigs fly with their tails forward”, used as .

When Pigs Fly is the third (formerly the second) episode of Bad Piggies, and will be the player's prime introduction to air-based vehicles, and follows directly after the events of Ground Hog Day. It has 36 levels plus 9 Cave levels.

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.

What is an example of pigs might fly? ›

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."

A pig, a plump animal farmed for its meat, such as bacon. Depicted in light pink in full profile on all fours facing left, with a long snout and short, curly tail. May be used to represent the animal, its food products, or various metaphorical senses of pig.

Idioms and Phrases

Forever, as in They said they'd go on searching till hell freezes over, but I'm sure they'll give up soon . This hyperbolic expression dates from the early 1900s. So does its antonym, not till hell freezes over , meaning “never,” as in I'm not giving in, not until hell freezes over .

Fourteen years after Don Henley's famous quote, the group reunited and returned to the charts. It was one of the most memorable quotes of any band split, with one of the most amusing outcomes.

“I went through hell founding this organization and I want something done about these problems. Think of it, we have over a hundred and twenty chapters and I ask what are we doing… We must fight till hell freezes over and then fight on the ice.” — Vertner Woodson Tandy, December 1937.

“Like finding a needle in a haystack” means that the thing you are looking for is very rare and difficult to find.