When chicken grow teeth

On Saint Never’s day, a blue moon rises above the ocean and from an ark like Noah's, hairy frogs and betoothed chickens come scuttling out. Cafebabel.com does a pan-European round-up of expressions that you couldn't even dream up in a month of Sundays.

Published on 23 October 2009 at 13:47

There is a veritable farm of idioms in Europe which express the impossibility of something happening and an indication of the eternal estimated arrival time that lies in store. From a Spanish ultra pessimist’s point of view, something will happen when frogs sprout hairs (cuando las ranas críen pelo) or and from pursed French gloommongers' one, the good time will come when chickens grow teeth (quand les poules auront des dents).

The Brits and Italians propel animals through the air, waiting respectively and positively for pigsand donkeys to fly (aspettare che gli asini volino). The Russians wait until the crawfish whistles on the mountain (когда рак на горе свистнет). From the fine hands of the Poles (Chopin, for example), you’d be waiting for the cactus to grow (aż mi kaktus na ręce wyrośnie).

You can also cross your fingers and wait for the day of a saint: in France something will happen à la Saint Glinglin- the origin of this expression is obscure, perhaps having something to do with the sounds of bells. There is also the German Sankt Nimmerleinstag, Portuguese o dia de São Nunca and the Polish Święty Nigdy , all referring to Saint Never’s Day.

Fernando Navarro Sordo, Nabeelah Shabbir.

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic