Until the cows come home

Table of contents

1 English 1.1 Idiom 1.1.1 Alternative forms 1.2 Usage notes 1.3 Related terms

English

Idiom

until the cows come home

Alternative forms

till the cows come home, 'til the cows come home (non-standard)

1. For a very long time.

   You can crank the engine until the cows come home, but it won't start without fuel.

Usage notes

• Until the cows come home functions as an adverb.
• The phrase is frequently used to describe activities that are thought to be futile or unproductive .

Related terms

• a cold day in hell
• that'll be the day