when Hell freezes over

English

Alternative forms

• until hell freezes over

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

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
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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