forever and a day
Idioms-
For a very long time, as in He's been working on that book forever and a day . This hyperbolic expression probably originated as a corruption of the now obsolete for ever and ay . Shakespeare used it in The Taming of the Shrew (4:4): “Farewell for ever and a day.” Today it is mainly a substitute for “very long time.” [c. 1600]
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Incessantly, ceaselessly, as in Will this racket never end? It's been going on forever and a day . [ Colloquial ; first half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Movies take forever and a day to develop and produce; even if this weren’t the case, one should always be cautious with the “This is what the filmmakers are trying to say” game.
From Los Angeles Times
"The people of Coniston will have Bluebird, as they deserve, and my dad's remains forever and a day."
From BBC
“I don’t think it should take forever and a day,” the governor said.
From Seattle Times
As far as retirement for the Rudd/Stephens siblings, 40 years can feel like forever and a day.
From Seattle Times
The self-proclaimed “huge Swiftie” has been listening to her music for “forever and a day,” but the class includes a range of fans.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
