# if pigs had wings

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/if-pigs-had-wings
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Never.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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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.