when pigs fly

Register · Informal Informal — used in casual, everyday conversation among friends and family. Avoid in formal writing or professional settings. CEFR B1

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Figurative meaning

Used to say that something will never happen.

Why this phrase?

Names an impossible event, since pigs cannot fly.

Example

“He'll clean his room when pigs fly.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

out of the question Neutral · CEFR B1

completely impossible or not permitted

grasp at straws Neutral · CEFR B2

to try desperate, unlikely measures when things are going badly

have your cake and eat it too Informal · CEFR B2

to want two incompatible things at once

take it with a grain of salt Neutral · CEFR B2

To treat something as not fully reliable or true.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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