Meanings
adverb
alternative when pigs can fly
- idiomaticNever.
"You know, my friend," said Mongan, "that I can't get Duv Laca back unless the King of Leinster asks me to take her back, for a bargain is a bargain." "That will happen when pigs fly," said mac an Dáv, "and," said he, "I did not make any bargain with any king that is in the world."
1920, James Stephens, Irish Fairy Tales, Mongan's FrenzySynonyms: at latter Lammas, at no time, in the reign of Queen Dick, ne'er, never, never ever, not while pussy's a cat, on the second Tuesday of the week
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbNever.
Origin
Referencing the fact that pigs do not have wings and cannot fly.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans as die perde horings kry
- as die perde horings krynever, expressed by an idiom
Basque haizerik ez den urtean
- haizerik ez den urteannever, expressed by an idiom
Catalan quan les gallines pixin
- quan les gallines pixinnever, expressed by an idiom
Chinese 天落紅雨，馬生角 /天落红雨
- 天落紅雨，馬生角 /天落红雨never, expressed by an idiom
Czech až kohout vejce snese, až naprší a uschne
- až kohout vejce snesenever, expressed by an idiom
- až naprší a uschnenever, expressed by an idiom
- na svatého Dyndynever, expressed by an idiom
- až půjde žid z poutinever, expressed by an idiom
Dutch wanneer Pasen en Pinksteren op één dag vallen, met sint-juttemis
- wanneer Pasen en Pinksteren op één dag vallennever, expressed by an idiom
- met sint-juttemisnever, expressed by an idiom
Esperanto kiam la ratoj seksumos kun la musoj, en la tago de Sankta Neniamo
- kiam la ratoj seksumos kun la musojnever, expressed by an idiom
- en la tago de Sankta Neniamonever, expressed by an idiom
Estonian kui kana pissib
- kui kana pissibnever, expressed by an idiom
Finnish kun lehmät lentävät
- kun lehmät lentävätnever, expressed by an idiom
French quand les poules auront des dents, aux calendes grecques
- quand les poules auront des dentsnever, expressed by an idiom
- aux calendes grecquesnever, expressed by an idiom
- à la Saint Glinglinnever, expressed by an idiom
- la semaine des quatre jeudisnever, expressed by an idiom
- à Pâques ou à la Triniténever, expressed by an idiom
- à la Saint-Glinglinnever, expressed by an idiom
German am Sankt-Nimmerleins-Tag, wenn Ostern und Pfingsten auf einen Tag fallen
- am Sankt-Nimmerleins-Tagnever, expressed by an idiom
- wenn Ostern und Pfingsten auf einen Tag fallennever, expressed by an idiom
Greek του αγίου ποτέ
- του αγίου ποτέ (tou agíou poté)never, expressed by an idiom
Hungarian majd ha fagy, holnapután kiskedden
- majd ha fagynever, expressed by an idiom
- holnapután kiskeddennever, expressed by an idiom
- majd ha piros hó esiknever, expressed by an idiom
- majd ha cigánygyerekek potyognak az égbőlnever, expressed by an idiom
- sohanapjánnever, expressed by an idiom
Icelandic þegar jólin ber upp á páska
- þegar jólin ber upp á páskanever, expressed by an idiom
Indonesian sampai lebaran monyet, sampai lebaran kuda
- sampai lebaran monyetnever, expressed by an idiom
- sampai lebaran kudanever, expressed by an idiom
- menunggu ayam bayar pajaknever, expressed by an idiom
Irish lá Philib an Chleite, lá Thaidhg na dTadhgann
- lá Philib an Chleitenever, expressed by an idiom
- lá Thaidhg na dTadhgannnever, expressed by an idiom
Italian quando gli asini voleranno, alle calende greche
- quando gli asini volerannonever, expressed by an idiom
- alle calende grechenever, expressed by an idiom
- il giorno di San Mainever, expressed by an idiom
Latin ad kalendas Graecas, cum mula peperit
- ad kalendas Graecasnever, expressed by an idiom
- cum mula peperitnever, expressed by an idiom
- prius pariet locusta Lucam bovemnever, expressed by an idiom
Latvian kad cūkas lidos, kad pūcei aste ziedēs
- kad cūkas lidosnever, expressed by an idiom
- kad pūcei aste ziedēsnever, expressed by an idiom
Malay menunggu kucing bertanduk
- menunggu kucing bertanduknever, expressed by an idiom
Polish na świętego nigdy, w grudniu po południu
- na świętego nigdynever, expressed by an idiom
- w grudniu po południunever, expressed by an idiom
Portuguese quando os porcos voarem, no Dia de São Nunca
- quando os porcos voaremnever, expressed by an idiom
- no Dia de São Nuncanever, expressed by an idiom
- no Dia de São Nunca à tardenever, expressed by an idiom
Romanian când o zbura porcul, când va face plopul pere
- când o zbura porculnever, expressed by an idiom
- când va face plopul perenever, expressed by an idiom
- la paștele cailornever, expressed by an idiom
- când mi-oi vedea ceafanever, expressed by an idiom
- la Sfîntu-așteaptănever, expressed by an idiom
Scottish Gaelic gu Là Luain, an latha a bheireas an cuilean an t-ugh
- gu Là Luainnever, expressed by an idiom
- an latha a bheireas an cuilean an t-ughnever, expressed by an idiom
- nuair a gheibh thu nead na cuthaigenever, expressed by an idiom
Spanish el día que las vacas vuelen, cuando las ranas críen pelo
- el día que las vacas vuelennever, expressed by an idiom
- cuando las ranas críen pelonever, expressed by an idiom
- cuando San Juan agache el dedonever, expressed by an idiom
Swedish när grisar flyger
- när grisar flygernever, expressed by an idiom
Tagalog sa pagputi ng uwak, sa pag-itim ng tagak
- sa pagputi ng uwaknever, expressed by an idiom
- sa pag-itim ng tagaknever, expressed by an idiom
Ukrainian не бачити як свого носа, коли на долоні волосся виросте
- не бачити як свого носа (ne bačyty jak svoho nosa)never, expressed by an idiom
- коли на долоні волосся виросте (koly na doloni volossja vyroste)never, expressed by an idiom
Yiddish װען משיח װעט קומען, ווען ס׳וועט זײַן דרײַ טעג ראש־חודש
- װען משיח װעט קומען (ven moshiyekh vet kumen)never, expressed by an idiom
- ווען ס׳וועט זײַן דרײַ טעג ראש־חודש (ven s'vet zayn dray teg reshkhoydesh)never, expressed by an idiom
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with when pigs fly
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
when pigs fly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20pigs%20fly
MLA
“when pigs fly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20pigs%20fly. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “when pigs fly,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/when%20pigs%20fly.
Source: when pigs fly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.