Till a snapping turtle turns loose

Posted by ESC on March 04, 2003

In Reply to: Till the cows come posted by R. Berg on March 03, 2003

: : I'm trying to find another expression that means a long but indefinate time - like the cows come home, but not this phrase

: When pigs fly (this actually goes back to the middle Ages).
: When hell freezes over.
: It'll be a long, hot day in the middle of December when X.

: Those mean an infinitely long wait, but "till the cows come home" is often used that way, too.

LONG TIME -- Coon's age; a month a Sundays, which is about seven months in duration; quite a spell; a long spell; since God knows when; a right smart spell; till a snapping turtle turns loose. From This Dog'll Really Hunt: An Entertaining Texas Dictionary by Wallace O. Chariton (Wordware Publishing, Piano, Texas, 1989, 1990)

• Why you'll wait for cows Word camel 03/04/03
  • Why W.Va. cows are smarter ESC 03/04/03
    • I'm unsurprised Word Camel 03/04/03
      • Make up your own janes_kid 03/04/03
        • Make up your own ESC 03/05/03