in a pig's eye
An exclamation of emphatic denial, dissent, or disbelief that something will happen or be true. A: "I'm pretty sure we can restore this old junker in a week. B: "In a pig's eye! That will take months, if not longer!" Step down from the board of directors? In a pig's eye I will! This little pill is supposed to help you lose 20 pounds? Yeah, in a pig's eye it does.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
In a pig's eye!
and In a pig's ass!; In a pig's ear!Rur. Nonsense! (Use caution with ass.) Tom: I wasn't going to steal it. I was just looking at it. Jane: In a pig's eye! I saw you put it in your pocket! Mary: Bill says he's sorry and he'll never yell at me again if I take him back. Jane: In a pig's ass! He's made those promises a hundred times before. Tom: I thought you said I could keep this. Charlie: In a pig's ear! I said you could borrow it.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
in a pig's eye
Under no condition, not at all, as in In a pig's eye he'll pay me back, or You think he's competent? In a pig's eye! This expression, a euphemism for in a pig's ass, is generally used as a strong negative. [Slang; late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
in a pig's eye
expressing scornful disbelief at a statement. informal, chiefly North American 1987 Evelyn E. Smith Miss Melville Returns Under other circumstances I think we could have been friends. ‘In a pig's eye,’ Susan thought.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
in a pig’s ˈeye
(American English, informal) used to say that you think that something is not at all true or that something will definitely not happen: He told you his father owns the company? In a pig’s eye! ♢ ‘Apparently this is the best hotel in town.’ ‘In a pig’s eye it is!’Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
in a pig's eye
Slang Under no condition; never.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
in a pig's eye
Never! Several sources have been suggested for this Americanism from the late nineteenth century. One holds that it is rhyming slang for “when pigs fly,” which of course is never. Another, more probable theory is that it is a euphemism for “in a pig’s ass,” which came from a bawdy song. Whatever the true origin, it has been on its way to becoming a cliché since about 1950.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
in a pig's eye
Untrue. “Eye” is a rhyme for “lie.” “Pig” has an unpleasant connotation. Put them together, and you have an expression for something that's patently false. The phrase was most often heard as a rejoinder to a remark that the hearer believes is untrue. To the statement that “The Cubs will win the World Series next year” might well be the response, “In a pig's ear.” Or, to use another porcine phrase, “When pigs fly.”
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price