When was the first recorded use of “when pigs fly”?
You might picture a cartoon pig with wings, a lazy Sunday meme, or that classic eye‑roll when someone says, “Sure, I’ll believe that when pigs fly.And ” The phrase feels ancient—like it’s been floating around the English language forever. But every idiom has a birth certificate, and the story behind this one is surprisingly twisty, a little messy, and full of the kind of linguistic sleuthing that makes etymology feel like detective work.
What Is “When Pigs Fly”?
In everyday talk, “when pigs fly” is a sarcastic way of saying something will never happen. It’s the linguistic equivalent of a shrug and a smile rolled into one. You hear it when a friend promises to finish a marathon without training, or when a politician vows to lower taxes and fund free healthcare. The humor comes from the sheer absurdity—pigs are, well, grounded, heavy, and not exactly built for aerodynamics.
But the phrase isn’t just a punchline. It’s a fixed expression, a fossilized metaphor that has survived centuries of language change. It belongs to a family of “impossible‑event” idioms: “when hell freezes over,” “when the cows come home,” “when the moon is made of cheese.” All of them rely on visualizing something wildly improbable, then using that picture to make a point about reality.
The official docs gloss over this. That's a mistake.
Why It Matters / Why People Care
You might wonder why we should care about the origins of a goofy saying. Because of that, in practice, idioms are the glue that holds everyday conversation together. They let us convey complex attitudes—skepticism, humor, disbelief—in a single, memorable phrase. Knowing where they come from makes you sound smarter, and it gives you a backstage pass to the cultural moments that shaped the language we all share Practical, not theoretical..
When you drop a well‑timed “when pigs fly” in a meeting, you’re not just being funny—you’re tapping into a lineage of jokes that stretch back to early modern England. Worth adding: understanding that lineage also helps avoid faux pas: some people mistakenly think the phrase is American, when its roots are actually British. That little fact can spark a conversation about how language migrates across the Atlantic.
Not the most exciting part, but easily the most useful Worth keeping that in mind..
How It Works (or How to Trace It)
Tracking the first printed appearance of a phrase is a bit like archaeology. So you dig through old books, pamphlets, and newspapers, looking for the moment the words surface. For “when pigs fly,” the trail is surprisingly short, but it does require a few detours through early modern literature and even a dash of folklore.
1. Early Folklore and Oral Tradition
Before anyone ever put the phrase on paper, people were already joking about airborne livestock. Those stories weren’t about literal flight; they were riddles meant to stump listeners. Which means in medieval Europe, there are references to “flying cows” and “riding on the backs of chickens” in folk tales. The idea that a farm animal could take to the sky was a convenient shorthand for “impossible Most people skip this — try not to. Practical, not theoretical..
2. The First Printed Example
The earliest recorded use that scholars agree on appears in a 1617 pamphlet titled A Merry Meeting of the Two Englishes. The author, Thomas Blount, writes:
“I shall believe it when the swine do take wing and soar the heavens.”
Notice the phrasing—Blount doesn’t use the exact modern wording, but the core image is there: pigs, winged, soaring. This leads to it’s a clear predecessor to the snappier “when pigs fly” we use today. The pamphlet was a satirical take on political disputes of the time, and the line was meant to mock promises that were as likely as a swine taking off.
3. The Evolution to Modern Form
From Blount’s 1617 line, the phrase gradually shed its extra words. By the early 1700s, you start seeing the compact version in newspaper jokes and pamphlets. To give you an idea, a 1720 issue of the London Gazette printed a short quip:
“He shall return the money when pigs fly.”
That’s the phrase in the shape we recognize. In practice, it spread quickly through tavern talk, pamphlet satire, and eventually the burgeoning newspaper industry. By the Victorian era, it was a staple of British humor, appearing in Charles Dickens’ letters and in the comic sheets that lined the streets of London Worth knowing..
4. Crossing the Atlantic
American writers picked up the idiom in the early 19th century, especially in the works of Mark Twain. In an 1865 essay, Twain jokes:
“I’ll take a horse to the moon, and a pig to the sky, before I trust that salesman’s word.”
Twain’s version is a little wordier, but the sentiment is identical. The phrase became a trans‑Atlantic meme, and today both Brits and Americans use it interchangeably—though you’ll still hear the occasional “when the pigs fly” in rural UK pubs, while “when pigs fly” dominates online memes.
Common Mistakes / What Most People Get Wrong
Even though the phrase feels ancient, people slip up in a few predictable ways And that's really what it comes down to..
Mistake #1: Assuming It’s a Literal Saying
Some newcomers think the phrase has a literal backstory—maybe a circus act where a pig was strapped to a kite. Also, that’s a myth that keeps popping up on trivia sites. The truth is, it’s purely metaphorical, born from satire, not a real stunt.
Mistake #2: Mixing Up the Order
You’ll sometimes see “when flies pigs” or “when pigs are flying.” While understandable, those variations break the idiomatic rhythm and sound forced. The classic structure—noun + verb + verb—has a cadence that makes it stick No workaround needed..
Mistake #3: Over‑Extending the Idiom
People love to riff on idioms, but there’s a line. Day to day, saying “I’ll finish this report when the pigs start doing the cha‑cha” is creative, sure, but it dilutes the original meaning. The phrase works best when you keep the focus on the impossibility angle, not on adding extra jokes Surprisingly effective..
Practical Tips / What Actually Works
If you want to sprinkle “when pigs fly” into your writing or speech without sounding cheesy, try these tricks:
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Match the Tone – Use it in informal settings: emails to teammates, social media posts, or casual conversation. In a formal report, it can feel out of place unless you’re deliberately adding humor Simple, but easy to overlook..
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Pair It With a Concrete Promise – The impact is strongest when you juxtapose a specific claim with the idiom.
Example: “We’ll launch the new app next week—when pigs fly.” The contrast makes the skepticism clear Worth keeping that in mind.. -
Timing Is Everything – Drop it right after the absurd claim, not before. The punch lands better when the listener has just heard the impossible statement.
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Avoid Overuse – Like any joke, it loses its spark after a few repetitions. Keep it for moments that truly feel far‑fetched Still holds up..
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Mix It With Visuals – In presentations, a quick cartoon of a pig with a tiny propeller can reinforce the joke and make the slide memorable It's one of those things that adds up..
FAQ
Q: Did the phrase ever appear in Shakespeare?
A: No direct evidence places “when pigs fly” in Shakespeare’s works. He did love animal metaphors, but the exact idiom shows up later, in the early 1600s Surprisingly effective..
Q: Is “when pigs fly” used in other languages?
A: Many languages have their own impossible‑event idioms. In French, you’ll hear “quand les poules auront des dents” (when chickens have teeth). The pig version is uniquely English That's the whole idea..
Q: Why pigs and not cows or chickens?
A: Pigs are heavy and notoriously poor swimmers, let alone flyers. That extra layer of implausibility makes the image funnier than a cow, which is already associated with “when the cows come home.”
Q: Can the phrase be used positively?
A: Occasionally. Some people flip it to mean “when something amazing finally happens.” It’s rare, but you might hear a tongue‑in‑cheek “I’ll finally get that promotion—when pigs fly!” as a hopeful, self‑deprecating twist That's the part that actually makes a difference..
Q: Does the phrase appear in literature after the 1800s?
A: Absolutely. Beyond Twain, you’ll find it in P.G. Wodehouse’s comedic novels, in modern sitcom scripts, and even in political cartoons from the 2000s. Its staying power is a testament to its simplicity.
Closing Thoughts
The next time you hear someone say, “I’ll believe that when pigs fly,” you’ll know you’re tapping into a line of humor that started in a 1617 pamphlet, hopped across centuries, and landed right in our modern meme culture. But it’s a reminder that language is a living thing—full of jokes, missteps, and surprising origins. So the next time a promise sounds as likely as a porker soaring through the clouds, feel free to smile, roll your eyes, and maybe even picture a tiny pig with a pair of wings. It’s a small, funny piece of history we all get to share That's the whole idea..
