# a cold day in July

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/a-cold-day-in-july
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

## Examples

- He will apologize on a cold day in July.
- I will lend you my car on a cold day in July, so please stop asking.
- The politician promised to lower taxes, but everyone knew that would happen on a cold day in July.

## Origin

The idiom draws upon the Northern Hemisphere’s climatic reliably, noting that July is on average the hottest month of the year. The phrase functions as a marker of the improbable, predicated on the statistical certainty that a day of significant cold would be a meteorological aberration during that specific month.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.