Idioms

not a cat in hell's chance

not a cat in hell's chance

Absolutely no chance or possibility (of succeeding, coming to pass, or achieving something). There's not a cat in hell's chance of them getting into the playoffs this year. There isn't a cat in hell's chance that they'll convict him—he's too rich and powerful!
See also: cat, chance, not
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

not a cat in hell's chance

or

not a snowball's chance in hell

BRITISH, SPOKEN
COMMON If there is not a cat in hell's chance or not a snowball's chance in hell of someone doing something or of something happening, there is no chance at all that they will do it or it will happen. We haven't a cat in hell's chance of raising the money by the Friday deadline. Do you seriously think he has a snowball's chance in hell of winning this election? Note: You can also say that someone does not have a chance in hell of doing something. They don't have a chance in hell of privatising the economy. They have no idea how a free market works. Note: The original expression was `as much chance as a cat in hell without claws'.
See also: cat, chance, not
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

not a cat in hell's chance

no chance at all. informal
This expression is often shortened to not a cat's chance .
2001 James Hamilton-Paterson Loving Monsters There isn't, of course, a cat in hell's chance that I shall ever see 1999 as you, I and Dr Faruli know perfectly well.
See also: cat, chance, not
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
See also:
References in periodicals archive
One thing is for certain, she has not a cat in hell's chance to become Labour leader.
Jess should think about what she says
Money thrown at schemes that had not a cat in hell's chance of getting off the ground.
Wilton Castle by Joan Croll of [...]
If the Baggies had not been robbed of a famous win at Chelsea by a scandalous penalty, and Clarke had become the first manager to win a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge against Jose Mourinho, there is not a cat in hell's chance Clarke would be out of a job.
NOW that Steve Clarke has [...]
In the long run there is not a cat in hell's chance of saving the euro or the European Union, which is a failed experiment destined for the garbage bin of history.
Single currency just doesn't work; Views of the North
There's not a cat in hell's chance that a man as vain, self-interested and spiteful as Earl Spencer would have missed seeing himself settling a few scores in what was undoubtedly his finest hour.
Carole Malone's column: WATCH IT, SPENCER
They thought there was not a cat in hell's chance of ever seeing him again - until he got hurt in a scrap and was handed into a local vets.
4-year stray struts home; REUNION
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