Meanings
alternative it ain't over till the fat lady sings · alternative it ain't over until the fat lady sings · alternative it isn't over 'til the fat lady sings · alternative it isn't over till the fat lady sings · alternative it isn't over until the fat lady sings · alternative it's not over 'til the fat lady sings · alternative it's not over till the fat lady sings · alternative it's not over until the fat lady sings
- There are more developments yet to come; one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress.
Synonyms: it ain't over till it's over
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbThere are more developments yet to come; one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress.
Origin
First appeared in 1976 in a Dallas Morning News article dated March 10, 1976. Popularized by sports coach Dick Motta in 1978. Generally understood to be in reference to opera sopranos, who were typically heavyset.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 事情未了, 戲還沒唱完 /戏还没唱完
- 事情未了 (shìqíng wèiliǎo)there are more developments yet to come
- 戲還沒唱完 /戏还没唱完 (xì hái méi chàng wán)there are more developments yet to come
Finnish kaikki on vielä mahdollista
- kaikki on vielä mahdollistathere are more developments yet to come
German man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben, noch nicht aller Tage Abend sein
- man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend lobenthere are more developments yet to come
- noch nicht aller Tage Abend seinthere are more developments yet to come
Hungarian várjuk ki a végét, még semmi sem dőlt el
- várjuk ki a végétthere are more developments yet to come
- még semmi sem dőlt elthere are more developments yet to come
- ne igyál előre a medve bőrérethere are more developments yet to come
Polish dopóki piłka w grze, wszystko jest możliwe
- dopóki piłka w grze, wszystko jest możliwethere are more developments yet to come
Scottish Gaelic chan eil am bonnach beag bruich fhathast
- chan eil am bonnach beag bruich fhathastthere are more developments yet to come
Spanish hasta el rabo, todo es toro
- hasta el rabo, todo es torothere are more developments yet to come
Cite this entry
it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20ain't%20over%20'til%20the%20fat%20lady%20sings
“it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20ain't%20over%20'til%20the%20fat%20lady%20sings. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20ain't%20over%20'til%20the%20fat%20lady%20sings.
Source: it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.