when Hell freezes over

when Hell freezes over

English

Alternative forms

• until hell freezes over

Adverb

when Hell freezes over (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic, slang, informal) Never; not in this lifetime or a time in the unforeseeably distant future; not a chance.

   "Will you go out with him?"

   "When Hell freezes over!"

   "When will the sun shine in Dunedin?"

   "When Hell freezes over!"

Translations

never

Czech: až peklo zamrzne Dutch: wanneer Pasen en Pinksteren op één dag vallen Finnish: kun helvetti jäätyy French: quand les poules auront des dents (fr) German: wenn die Hölle zufriert, alle Jubeljahre (de), wenn Ostern und Pfingsten auf einen Tag fallen (de) Italian: alle calende greche, quando gli asini voleranno, mai (it) Norwegian: når helvetet fryser

Polish: prędzej piekło zamarznie Portuguese: quando o inferno congelar Russian: когда́ рак на горе́ сви́стнет (ru) (kogdá rak na goré svístnet), по́сле до́ждичка в четве́рг (ru) (pósle dóždička v četvérg) Slovene: ko pekel zmrzne Spanish: el día que las vacas vuelen Swedish: när helvetet fryser till is Tagalog: kapag nagyelo ang impiyerno

See also

• a cold day in Hell
• first of never
• snowball's chance in hell
• when pigs fly