Flying pig

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A flying pig is a metaphor for an impossibility or an event that will never come to pass, often with the implication something will be disatrous [that it will be impossible to do. It is used in popular sayings "[it] will happen when pigs fly" or pigs will fly or "when pigs have wings".

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Contents 1 Meaning 2 In other languages 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Meaning

"When pigs fly" is an idiomatic way of saying that something will never happen. Pigs are heavy animals, without wings, and cannot possibly fly. So "when pigs fly" is a time that will never come. The phrase is used for humorous effect to scoff at someone's intentions to achieve or carry out something which is beyond their previous efforts and accomplishments, especially in politics. There are numerous variations on the theme; when someone with a reputation for failure finally succeeds, onlookers may claim sarcastically to see a flying pig. ("Hey look! A flying pig!")

Similar phrases include "when hell freezes over", the Latin expression "to the Greek calends," and "and monkeys might fly out of my butt", popularized in Wayne's World skits and movies. They are examples of adynata.^[1]

The idiom is apparently derived from a centuries-old Scottish proverb, though some other references to pigs flying or pigs with wings are more famous. Here is one such reference from Lewis Carroll:

"Thinking again?" the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp little chin.
"I've a right to think," said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to feel a little worried.
"Just about as much right," said the Duchess, "as pigs have to fly...." — Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 9.

Possibly the first occurrence of a pig actually flying occurred in 1909 when the British aviation pioneer Lord Brabazon made the first live air cargo flight with a pig in a basket tied to a wing-strut of his airplane.^[2]

In the United States the phrase is used as a name for various pig product purveyors such as rib joints. ( Though this has not been confirmed)

[edit] In other languages

^{[original research?][improper synthesis?]}

• In German "Wenn Schweine fliegen könnten!" is identical with the English version, although the older proverb "Wenn Schweine Flügel hätten, wäre alles möglich" (if pigs had wings, everything would be possible) is in more common use, often edited on the second part to something impossible, like "if pigs had wings, even your idea might work".
• In Finnish, the expression is "sitten kun lehmät lentävät" (when cows fly). Also "jos lehmällä olisi siivet, se lentäisi" (if cow had wings, it would fly), implying futile speculations.
• In Spanish, something that will never happen is often referred to as "cuando las vacas vuelen" ("when cows fly"). Its most common use is in response to an affirmative statement, for example "I saw Mrs. Smith exercising, I swear!" to which the response given would be something like, "Yeah right, and cows fly." Other variations slightly fallen into disuse include "cuando las ranas crien pelo" (when frogs grow hair) and "cuando San Juan agache el dedo" (when Saint John bends his finger). The latter one is a reference to the common depiction of St. John with one or two extended fingers.
• In French, two phrases can mainly be heard. "Quand les vaches auront des ailes" ("when cows have wings") exists also, but the most common is probably "quand les poules auront des dents" ("when hens have teeth").
• In Portuguese, the historic expression was "quando a cobra fumar " ("when snakes smoke"). The sentence was used by Getúlio Vargas, Brazilian president during World War II, to reaffirm Brazil's neutrality in the conflict: "Snakes will smoke before Brazil enters the war". When Brazil eventually declared war on Nazi Germany and a contingent of about 25000 Brazilians were sent to join Allied forces in the invasion of Italy, the Brazilian force called themselves Cobras Fumantes (literally, Smoking Snakes). They adopted as their symbol a snake smoking a pipe. Since then, the expression reversed meaning in Brazil, as "a cobra vai fumar!" ("snakes will smoke!") now implies that something is about to happen in a furious and destructive way. Brazilians also use the expression "nem que a vaca tussa" that literally means "nor if the cows cought". The origin of this expression is unknown. In Portugal though, the equivalent expression is "when the chickens have teeth" (quando as galinhas tiverem dentes), the origin of such expression is unknown. Another expression used in Portugal is "On St. Never's day in the afternoon" ("No dia de S. Nunca à tarde"), meaning that the event being discussed will never happen.
• In Russian, the expression is "когда рак на горе свистнет" (kogdá rak na goré svístnet) - "when the crawfish whistles on the mountain".
• In Hindi/Urdu, there is a famous expression that has exactly same meaning. "Na no mann tail hu gaa naa radhaa naachay gee" that means that neither there will be 9 tons of oil nor Radhaa (a dancer) will dance. Also there is another phrase "oo dinn dubba jadoon khoti chariyaa kubaa" it means that day will never come when a handicaped person will ride the donkey.
• in Dutch, the expression is "Ja, als Pasen en Pinksteren op één dag vallen..." ("When Easter and Pentecost are on the same day")
• In Italian, the expression is "Quando gli asini voleranno" ("When donkeys fly")

[edit] See also

• Black swan theory
• List of idioms of improbability
• Pigasus Award
• 9.45 inch Heavy Mortar: British World War I weapon, nicknamed the Flying Pig

[edit] References

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (December 2008)

[edit] External links

• Humorous Internet memorandum RFC 1925 insists that "with sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine."
• Discussion of origin of the phrase by Michael Quinion
• Page about Lord Brabazon's flight, with photographs including the pig with a sign "I am the first pig to fly"
• Purloined porker found, a news story from the Cincinnati Enquirer about a stolen flying-pig statue
• A flying pig page that includes an image of a flying pig statue on the Riverwalk
• When Pigs Fly, a children's book by Valerie Coulman (ISBN 1-894222-79-2)
• Flying Pig Marathon (Cincinnati)
• Artdesigner and painter of flying pigs (Germany)
• [1] A website completely devoted to Flying Pigs