# until the cows come home

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/until-the-cows-come-home
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

For a very long period of time.

## Examples

- You can argue about this until the cows come home.
- We can talk about our travel plans until the cows come home, but we still need to book the tickets.
- The committee debated the new policy until the cows come home, yet they failed to reach a consensus before the midnight deadline.

## Origin

The origin remains a matter of some conjecture, though the central premise relies upon the predictably sluggish pace of bovine transit. One theory suggests the phrase refers to the daily milking cycle, noting that cattle let out to pasture are not expected to return until the following morning. A social engagement lasting until the cows come home would, by this measure, be an affair of considerable and perhaps exhausting duration. Alternatively, the expression may have a Scottish origin rooted in the seasonal movements of the Highlands. In this account, cattle are driven to common grazing lands where grass is abundant, remaining there for months at a time. They return only when the autumn chill reduces the food supply, at which point they find their own way back for feeding. The wait for their arrival is therefore not a matter of hours, but of seasons. (disputed)

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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.