UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME

The phrase “until (or till) the cows come home” means “for a very long time.”

 Examples

 “They are happy to run until the cows come home and they are not ones to shy away from the colder temperatures.”

 “He said that one can play music until the cows come home, but without visibility, one doesn't get focus from the audience.”

 “Whether a college education is essential or not is perhaps something that can be debated till the cows come home.


 This phrase apparently dates from the 16th Century [1], when dairy cows were not milked daily but would remain in a pasture for a prolonged time [2]. It is often used to emphasise the futility of doing something for a long time, as in the second and third examples.


 Photo credit: ufopilot (Creative Commons)

 [1] Cresswell, Julia. “Cow” in The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. Oxford University Press, 2009.

 [2] “Till” in Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by Susie Dent. 19th ed. Chambers Harrap, 2012.