# it ain't over till the fat lady sings

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/it-aint-over-till-the-fat-lady-sings
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

This isn't over yet

## Examples

- We are losing the game, but it ain't over till the fat lady sings.
- The polls show the other candidate is winning, but we should keep working because it ain't over till the fat lady sings.
- Although the company faces significant financial losses this quarter, the CEO remains optimistic, reminding the board that it ain't over till the fat lady sings.

## Origin

1970s American sports saying (popularised by sportswriter Dan Cook, 1978), alluding to opera — Wagner's Ring cycle ends with the soprano Brünnhilde's long final aria.

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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.