donkey's years
English
Etymology
1923, from donkey's ears, which is rhyming slang for years.[1] That is, donkey's ears is rhyming slang, replacing years with ears, while donkey's years reverts to years, with donkey acting as emphasis. “Donkey’s ears” implies “a long time” because donkey’s ears are long, while “donkey’s years” is supported by the belief that donkeys live a long time.[1]
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Noun
- (British, idiomatic) A long time, years and years.
- 1923, The Bridgeport Telegram:[1]
- With a heavy make-up, you’ll be the cutest vamp I’ve seen in donkey’s years.
- 1923, The Bridgeport Telegram:[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gary Martin (1997–) “Donkey's years”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 26 February 2017.
- Michael Quinion (April 15, 2000) “Donkey’s years”, in World Wide Words.