in a while, crocodile
A playful way to say goodbye before a temporary parting. Used especially as a rhyming response to the phrase "See you later, alligator." A: "See you later, alligator." B: "In a while, crocodile." In a while, crocodile! I'll see you tomorrow. My little girl thinks it's hilarious to say "See you later, alligator!" and "In a while, crocodile!" any time someone leaves the room.
see you later, alligator
childish Goodbye for now. Often followed by the response "in a while, crocodile." A: "OK, I've got to go, kiddo—see you later, alligator!" B: "In a while, crocodile! Come home soon!"
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
See you later, alligator,
and Later, alligator.Inf. Good-bye. (Sometimes the reply is After while(, crocodile.)) Bob: See you later, alligator. Jane: After while, crocodile. Bob: Bye, Tom. Tom: See you later, alligator. Bob: Later.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
See you later, alligator
interj. Good-bye. (From the 1930s. Answered with After while, crocodile.) TOM: Bye. BILL: See you later, alligator. BILL: See you later, alligator. TOM: After while, crocodile.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
See you later, alligator
Bye! The title of a 1950s rock-'n'-roll smash hit by Bill Haley and His Comets, the phrase was already in use, especially in the South. For a decade or more, hep/hip/with-it cats and chicks ended conversations with the phrase. The standard reply was the song's next line: “after a while, crocodile.”
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price