Over my dead body

[0213] Not in a million years

🎲 When pigs fly
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • A hyperbolic way to say something will absolutely never happen or is completely untrue.
  • Emphasizes impossibility or strong refusal/denial.

Origin

  • Uses the vast timescale of a million years to create hyperbole, highlighting the extreme unlikelihood or impossibility of an event.
  • Similar phrases using large numbers or eternity existed earlier, but this specific wording became popular in the 20th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Never ever
  • Absolutely never
  • When pigs fly
  • Not a chance
  • Impossible
  • When hell freezes over

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Never gonna happen
  • No way, José (Playful, somewhat dated)
  • Fat chance
  • Not likely

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Not in a fucking million years
  • Never in hell
  • Fuck that noise (Dismissing the idea)

Milder/Formal:

  • Highly unlikely
  • That will certainly never happen
  • That is out of the question
  • I cannot foresee that ever occurring

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal to semi-formal.
  • It's hyperbolic, so less suited for very formal or serious contexts demanding precision. Appropriate for expressing strong personal feelings or opinions.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Non-native speakers should understand this is extreme hyperbole and not a literal timeframe or a carefully considered probability.

Examples

  • Will I ever go skydiving? Not in a million years.
  • Do you think he'll apologize? Not in a million years.

Dialogue

Alice: Do you think Bob will ever ask Sarah out on a date?

Chloe: Bob asking Sarah out? Not in a million years. He admires her from afar but is way too intimidated.

Alice: You're probably right. Poor Bob.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Me? Running a marathon? Not in a million years. I get winded walking up the stairs. #FitnessGoals #NotReally
  • Comment: User A: Maybe pineapple on pizza isn't so bad after all? User B: Not in a million years! Keep fruit off my pizza! #PizzaPurity

Response Patterns

  • Often met with agreement: Yeah, I agree., Totally.
  • Curiosity about the certainty: You really think so? / Why so sure?
  • Acceptance: Fair enough., Okay, point taken.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Someone might ask Why are you so sure? or What makes you say that?.
  • More often, the statement is accepted as a strong opinion and the conversation moves on.

Conversation Starter

  • No. Usually a response expressing strong disbelief, refusal, or denial.

Intonation

  • Stress often falls on Not, mil-lion, and years.
  • Can be delivered with finality, disbelief, or slight amusement at the absurdity of the suggestion. NOT in a MIL-lion YEARS.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations. A classic idiom.

Regional Variations

  • Common in most English-speaking regions.
Over my dead body
🎲 When pigs fly