Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

when pigs fly

Idioms  
  1. Never, as in Sure he'll pay for the drinks—when pigs fly. Equating the flight of pigs with something impossible dates from the early 1600s, when several writers alleged that pigs fly with their tails forward. The idiom is also put as pigs may fly.


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.

People say "When pigs fly" to describe the impossible.

From Science Daily

"Lukas kept saying that he was going to come to Poland, but always chose to play elsewhere, and it gradually became a joke. 'When Podolski signs for Gornik' meant something like 'when pigs fly' in Silesia - that was never going to happen," Wirtualna Polska journalist Piotr Kozminski told BBC Sport.

From BBC

“For me this bill has a when pigs fly sort of quality to it,” said Democratic Rep. Omari Hardy.

From Washington Times

But when pigs fly — that's something unheard of, even by Taiwan's standards.

From Washington Post

“After Indiana had approved a right-to-work bill, I told him they were coming for Michigan next, and he said Michigan would pass a law like that when pigs fly,” Mr. Mix chuckled.

From Washington Times