Let’s explore the saying ‘when pigs fly’ together, understanding its meaning, origins, and real-life examples.
Meaning of the Idiom
The idiom ‘when pigs fly’ is used to express disbelief or skepticism about the likelihood of something happening. It implies that the event or outcome being discussed is so improbable or absurd that it is as unlikely to occur as pigs flying. The phrase is often used humorously or sarcastically to dismiss unrealistic or far-fetched ideas, promises, or predictions.
Origin of the Idiom
The origin of the phrase ‘when pigs fly’ is uncertain, but it likely originated as a humorous exaggeration of the impossibility of pigs actually flying. Pigs are terrestrial animals that lack the physical ability to fly, making the idea of them taking flight absurd and fantastical. The expression has been used in English since at least the early 19th century and has since become a common idiomatic phrase to convey extreme improbability.
10 Idiom Examples in Everyday Situations
1. “Sure, I’ll believe that when pigs fly!”
2. “You expect me to trust him? Ha! When pigs fly!”
3. “I’ll start enjoying exercise when pigs fly.”
4. “He said he’ll clean his room every day. Yeah, right! When pigs fly.”
5. “She promised to finish the project on time. I’ll believe it when pigs fly.”
6. “He thinks he can win the lottery. When pigs fly, maybe.”
7. “I’ll wear that outfit when pigs fly.”
8. “He said he’ll start eating vegetables. When pigs fly!”
9. “They claim they’ll stop arguing. When pigs fly.”
10. “She thinks she can learn to speak Chinese in a week. When pigs fly!”
5 Quotes Featuring the Idiom
1. “I’ll believe it when pigs fly—meaning, never.” – Unknown
2. “When pigs fly, we’ll have world peace.” – Unknown
3. “When pigs fly, I’ll start enjoying broccoli.” – Unknown
4. “When pigs fly, I’ll believe politicians’ promises.” – Unknown
5. “When pigs fly, I’ll have time to clean out my garage.” – Unknown
Idioms Starting From Letter W
Each and every letter of the English alphabet has hundreds of idioms. As in this post, we are talking about the idiom beginning with the letter W. There are many other idioms that also start with the ‘W’, which can be useful to you. We have gathered all the W-starting idiomatic expressions on a single page to make it easy for you to find the best and most useful idioms starting with the letter W.
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