Buckley's chance

American  

noun

Australian.

1. no chance at all or only a slim hope.

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Buckley's chance British  

/ ˈbʌklɪz /

noun

1. Often shortened to: Buckley's.  slang no chance at all

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Etymology

Origin of Buckley's chance

First recorded in 1870–75; origin obscure

Example Sentences

“Buckley’s Chance” is a family drama/adventure set in the Australian outback with some moments of peril and mild — but frequent — language.

From Washington Post

He wheeled his team on the mountain side and set 'em a merry pace, A-galloping over the rocks and stones, and a lot of the Boers gave chase; But Driver Smith had a fairish start, and he said to the Boers, 'Good-day, You have Buckley's chance for to catch a man that was trained in Battery A.' He drove his team to the hospital and said to the P.M.O.,

From Project Gutenberg