till the fat lady sings

till the fat lady sings
till the fat lady sings & when the fat lady sings
Fig. at the end; a long time from now. (Supposedly from a tale about a child—sitting through an opera—who asks a parent when it will be over. “Not until the fat lady sings” is the answer.) •

Relax. It won't be over till the fat lady sings.

We can leave with everybody else when the fat lady sings.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • till the fat lady sings — AND when the fat lady sings mod. at the end; a long time from now. (Supposedly from a tale about a child sitting through an opera who asks a parent when it will be over. “Not until the fat lady sings” is the answer.) □ Relax. It won’t be over… …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • the opera isn’t over till the fat lady sings — Attempts to determine the identity of the diva concerned have been inconclusive. 1978 Washington Post 13 June B1 The opera isn’t over till the fat lady sings... One day three years ago, Ralph Carpenter, who was then Texas Tech’s sports… …   Proverbs new dictionary

  • it ain't over until/till the fat lady sings — see ↑lady • • • Main Entry: ↑fat it ain t over until/till the fat lady sings US informal used to say that the final result of something (such as a sports contest) has not yet been decided and could still change We re losing, but remember: it ain… …   Useful english dictionary

  • it isn't over till the fat lady sings — ► it isn t over till the fat lady sings there is still time for a situation to change. [ORIGIN: by association with the final aria in tragic opera.] Main Entry: ↑lady …   English terms dictionary

  • it ain't over till the fat lady sings — an event is not finished until the final bell, don t give up    The tying goal was scored in the final second. It ain t over till the fat lady sings! …   English idioms

  • it ain't over till the fat lady sings — This idiom means that until something has officially finished, the result is uncertain …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • when the fat lady sings — Go to till the fat lady sings …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings — is a proverb, essentially meaning that one shouldn t assume the outcome of some activity (frequently a sports game) until it has actually finished.This phrase in turn refers to the impression by many of Wagner s Der Ring des Nibelungen (aka the… …   Wikipedia

  • it isn't over till the fat lady sings — there is still time for a situation to change. [by assoc. with the final aria in tragic opera.] → lady …   English new terms dictionary

  • It isn't over till the fat lady sings — outcome is unknown until the end; it s not over until it has finished (originally US slang; reputedly coined by San Antonio sports editor Dan Cook in 1978) …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • it isn't over till the fat lady sings — Australian Slang outcome is unknown until the end; it s not over until it has finished (originally US slang; reputedly coined by San Antonio sports editor Dan Cook in 1978 …   English dialects glossary

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