🎭 Never! When Pigs Fly and Other Impossible Dreams 🐦
“Never! In your wildest dreams! When pigs fly!” These are the types of phrases intrepid word lovers will find delightfully frustrating—peppered through common conversation as garnish for the truly impossible. While impossible scenarios give us much to laugh (and ponder) about, the origins and meanings behind these colorful clichés reveal a tapestry of culture and imaginative linguistics.
One suggested source for this Americanism, dating back to the late nineteenth century, is that it is rhyming slang for “when pigs fly,” which of course, never happens. Another theory, perhaps more probable, posits that “Never!” is a euphemism for “in a pig’s ass,” derived from a bawdy song. Given its pronounceable present state, it has briskly maneuvered towards cliché status post-1950.
Similar Terms & Expressions:
- When hell freezes over: A guarantee of something never happening.
- Not in a million years: No possibility within a conceivable timeline.
- Over my dead body: As one hyperbolic barrier to impossible scenarios.
- Once in a blue moon: Rare events, almost to the point of incredulity.
Related Proverbs:
- “Things are not always what they seem.”
Synonyms:
- Absolutely not
- Not gonna happen
- No way, José
Antonyms:
- Possible
- Likely
- Once in a while
Usage in Literature:
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: Filled with whimsical impossibilities.
- 1984 by George Orwell: For the impossible dystopian scenarios painted.
Music:
- “Imagine” by John Lennon: Challenges the collective notion of ‘impossible’.
- “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha: Tackling the mythic pursuit of unreachable goals.
Movies:
- Big Fish directed by Tim Burton: Embodies the realms of impossible storytelling.
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Chronicles impossible dreams become reality.
Inspirational Quotes:
- “I believe anything is possible. Research and imagination both play crucial roles in unearthing the ’never’ to find new ’now’.” — Fictional Author, I.M. Possible
Fictitious Author:
L. A. Lexicon
Publishing Date:
2023-10-04
Until our next linguistic adventure, let your words evoke wonder and your thoughts create new narratives. What’s impossible today may well be your potential tomorrow.
✨ Keep dreaming! 🐦
L. A. Lexicon
