until

*all hours (of the day and night)

Fig. very late in the night or very early in the morning. (*Typically: until ~; till ~; at ~.) Why do you always stay out until all hours of the day and night? I like to stay out till all hours.

See also: hour

(Good-bye) until then. and (Good-bye) till then.; (Good-bye) till later.; (Good-bye) until later.

Good-bye until sometime in the future. Sally: See you tomorrow. Good-bye until then. Sue: Sure thing. See you. Mary: See you later. Bob: Until later. The announcer always ended by saying, "Be with us again next week at this time. Good-bye until then."

Good-bye for now. and (Good-bye) until next time.; Till next time.; Bye for now.; Till we meet again.; Until we meet again.

Good-bye, I'll see you soon.; Good-bye, I'll see you next time. (Often said by the host at the end of a radio or television program.) Alice: See you later. Good-bye for now. John: Bye, Alice. Mary: See you later. Bob: Good-bye for now. The host of the talk show always closed by saying, "Good-bye until next time. This is Wally Off, Slgning off."

See also: now

keep something until some time

to retain something until a certain time. Can you keep this box until I call for it next week? The package will be kept until Monday.

See also: keep, some, time

postpone something until something

to delay something until something happens or until a later time. Can we postpone our meeting until tomorrow? The picnic was postponed until Saturday.

squeeze something out of something and squeeze something out

to press something until something is expelled from something. Claire squeezed some toothpaste out of the tube. She squeezed out some toothpaste.

See also: out, squeeze

stay up until

a particular time to remain awake and out of bed until a particular time. I stayed up until long past midnight last night. Do you think Susie should stay up until midnight?

See also: stay, up

talk until one is blue in the face

Fig. to talk until one is exhausted. I talked until I was blue in the face, but I couldn't change her mind. She had to talk until she was blue in the face in order to convince him.

See also: blue, face, one, talk

till kingdom come

Fig. until the end of the world; forever. Do I have to keep assembling these units till kingdom come? I'll hate her guts till kingdom come.

See also: come, kingdom, till

until all hours

Fig. until very late. Mary is out until all hours, night after night. If I'm up until all hours two nights in a row, I'm just exhausted.

See also: hour

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It's not over until the fat lady sings.  (informal)

something that you say when someone is losing a game or competition but you think there is still a chance they might win Tony's only two games behind. And as they say, it's not over until the fat lady sings.

See also: fat, lady, sing

till/until kingdom come

for a very long time

Usage notes: 'Until Kingdom come' is a phrase from a prayer in the Bible and means 'until the world ends'.

I don't want to wait until kingdom come for you to decide what you're doing.

See also: come, kingdom, till

until you are blue in the face

if you say something until you are blue in the face, you keep saying the same thing again and again but no one listens to you I can tell him to tidy his room until I'm blue in the face, but it's always a mess.

See talk a blue streak, scream blue murder, once in a blue moon

See also: blue, face

until hell freezes over  (informal)

if you say that someone can do something until hell freezes over, you mean they will not get the result they want They can talk until hell freezes over - they won't make me change my mind.

See also: freeze, hell

until the cows come home

for a very long time We could talk about this problem until the cows come home, but it wouldn't solve anything.

See also: come, cow, home

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you haven't lived until something (spoken) also you haven't lived till something

you will be sorry if you do not try this You haven't lived until you've got a personal trainer to work out with.

See also: haven't, live

squeeze something out of somebody/something

to get something with great effort from someone or something Albert was good at thinking of ways to squeeze money out of his father in England. Fred didn't like to tell the truth, and you had to squeeze it out of him.

See also: out, squeeze

until hell freezes over also till hell freezes over

forever I will fight for these children till hell freezes over.

Usage notes: also used in the form when hell freezes over (never): They said they would get back together when hell freezes over.

Etymology: based on the idea that hell (a very hot place where people are punished forever) can never freeze

See also: freeze, hell

until the cows come home (spoken) also till the cows come home

for a very long time You can diet until the cows come home, and you still won't be a size 4.

See also: come, cow, home