month of Sundays

plural months of Sundays

1. idiomaticinformalA very long time; a period regarded as too long.First known use mid 18th c.

   It seems like it’s been a month of Sundays since we saw him last.

   5 more examples

   [T]he captain had ordered his back to be anointed with ſome pickle, by way of preſerving ſome mortification, which increaſed his agony ſo intolerably, that he exhibited the various contorſions and wreathings of a rattle ſnake with ſurprizing velocity, to the no ſmall edification of the commander, who ſwore he ſhould dance to the ſecond part of the ſame tune, for a month of Sundays; ſtill repeating the word citation, which he could neither underſtand, nor digeſt.

   1759, Hamilton Murray [pseudonym], chapter X, in The Life and Real Adventures of Hamilton Murray. […], London: […] J. Burd, […], →OCLC, pages 120–121

   Let the Sunday papers have their day: it is all they have; though it would require a month of Sundays to read all they publish upon it.

   1808, [George Colman the Younger], Presume Not beyond Measure: A Serio-comic Letter of Advice, Addressed to the Editors of All the Public Papers. […], London: […] J[ohn] Hatchard, […], →OCLC, page 14

   Why, what an orator you are! Really, I haven't heard more fluent or passionate English this month of Sundays.

   1850, [Charles Kingsley], “The Plush Breeches Tragedy”, in Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet. […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 71

   From many quarters in London even a park is far distant, while we have months of Sundays which are wet and cold, when the dens where many people live would be preferred because affording shelter from the weather.

   1883, Hodgson Pratt, “On the Same [Art in Large Towns. In what Way Can the Influence of Art be Best Brought to Bear on the Masses of the Population in Large Towns?]”, in Transactions of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science. […], London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, section V (Art), page 595

   The most vivacious, sparkling, entertaining piece of comedy you are likely to come across in a month of Sundays.

   1915 December, “Hodder and Stoughton’s Christmas List of Novels [advertisement]”, in The Bookman, volume XLIX, number 291, London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton […], →OCLC, page xv, column 4

   Synonyms: eternity, forever, week of Saturdays, week of Sundays, aeon, age, ages, blue moon