until the cows come home

phrase

For a very long period of time.

“Near-synonym: until one is blue in the face”

Similar
until one is blue in the face
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Meanings

phrase

alternative obsolete till the cow come home · alternative 'til the cows come home · alternative till the cows come home

  1. idiomaticFor a very long period of time.

    Near-synonym: until one is blue in the face

    5 more examples

    You can crank the engine until the cows come home, but it won’t start without fuel.

    Good Morrow, / Drinke tell the Cow come home, 'tis all pay'd boyes.

    [1609–1612, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Captaine”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act IV, scene ii, page 63, column 1

    If there be any lazy Fellow, any that cannot away with Work, any that would wallow in Pleaſures, he is haſty to be prieſted. And, when he is made one, and hath gotten a Benefice, he conſorts with his Neighbour Prieſts, who are altogether given to Pleaſures; and then both he, and they, live, not like Chriſtians, but like Epicures; drinking, eating, feaſting, and revelling, till the Cow come Home, as the saying is; [...]

    [1610, Alexander Cooke, “Pope Joane”, in William Oldys, editor, The Harleian Miscellany: […], volume IV, London: T[homas] Osborne, […], published 1745, →OCLC, page 125

    Come my brave Man of War, trace out thy darling, / As you my learned Council, ſit and turn boyes, / Kiſs till the Cow come home, kiſs cloſe, kiſs cloſe knaves. / My Modern Poet, thou ſhalt kiſs in couplets.

    [c. 1613–1616, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Scornful Lady, a Comedy”, in Fifty Comedies and Tragedies. […], [part 1], London: […] J[ohn] Macock [and H. Hills], for John Martyn, Henry Herringman, and Richard Marriot, published 1679, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 68, column 1

    Miſs, if I had ſaid ſo, I ſhould have told a Fib; I warrant you lay a Bed till the Cows came home: But, Miſs, ſhall I cut you a little Cruſt now my Hand is in?

    1738, Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue II”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, According to the Most Polite Mode and Method Now Used at Court, and in the Best Companies of England. In Three Dialogues, London: Printed for B[enjamin] Motte, and C. Bathurst […], →OCLC, page 158

    Synonyms: until one is blue in the face

Synonyms & antonyms

phraseFor a very long period of time.

Similar
until one is blue in the face
Also see
until hell freezes overuntil one is blue in the face

Origin

Possibly from the fact that cattle let out to pasture may be only expected to return for milking the next morning; thus, for example, a party that goes on “until the cows come home” is a very long one. Alternatively, the phrase may have a Scottish origin, and may derive from the fact that cattle in the Highlands are put out to graze on the common where grass is plentiful. They stay out for months before scarcity of food causes them to find their way home in the autumn for feeding (a pattern of seasonal grazing called transhumance).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch tot sint-juttemis
  • tot sint-juttemisFor a very long time
Finnish maailman tappiin asti
  • maailman tappiin astiFor a very long time
French aussi longtemps qu'on veut
  • aussi longtemps qu'on veutFor a very long time
German bis zum Sankt-Nimmerleins-Tag
  • bis zum Sankt-Nimmerleins-TagFor a very long time
Hungarian ítéletnapig, sohanapjáig
  • ítéletnapigFor a very long time
  • sohanapjáigFor a very long time
Icelandic fram í rauðan dauðann
  • fram í rauðan dauðannFor a very long time
Irish go brách na bréithe
  • go brách na bréitheFor a very long time
Italian fino a domani, tutto il giorno
  • fino a domaniFor a very long time
  • tutto il giornoFor a very long time
Latin ad calendas graecas
  • ad calendas graecasFor a very long time
Māori ki konā
  • ki konāFor a very long time
Polish długo, ile wlezie
  • długoFor a very long time
  • ile wlezieFor a very long time
  • do usranej śmierciFor a very long time
Turkish eşek sudan gelene kadar
  • eşek sudan gelene kadarFor a very long time
Cite this entry
APA

until the cows come home. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/until%20the%20cows%20come%20home

MLA

“until the cows come home.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/until%20the%20cows%20come%20home. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “until the cows come home,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/until%20the%20cows%20come%20home.

Source: until the cows come home on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.