if pigs had wings
Never.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I will clean my room if pigs had wings.”
“He thinks he will win the lottery, but that will happen if pigs had wings.”
“The politician promised to lower taxes for everyone, a feat that will occur only if pigs had wings.”
Attested as an anapodoton, the phrase is a shortened form of the conditional expression if pigs had wings, they would fly. It serves as a truncated reference to the inherent impossibility of the premise.
- 01
clip someone's wings
To restrict someone's freedom.
- 02
couldn't stop a pig in a passage
To be bow-legged.
- 03
happy as a pig in mud
Very happy or content.
- 04
happy as a pig in shit
Extremely happy; obviously satisfied and carefree.
- 05
lipstick on a pig
To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.
- 06
make a pig of oneself
To eat to excess; to overeat; to gorge.
- 07
make a pig's ear of
To do badly; to make a mess of.
- 08
make pigs and whistles of
To ruin (something); to make a severe mess of (something).
Last updated August 10, 2026