until the cows come home

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until the cows come home

Where it comes from

Possibly from the fact that cattle let out to pasture may be only expected to return for milking the next morning; thus, for example, a party that goes on “until the cows come home” is a very long one.

Alternatively, the phrase may have a Scottish origin, and may derive from the fact that cattle in the Highlands are put out to graze on the common where grass is plentiful. They stay out for months before scarcity of food causes them to find their way home in the autumn for feeding (a pattern of seasonal grazing called transhumance).

phrase till the cow come home · 'til the cows come home · till the cows come home

idiomatic For a very long period of time. Near-synonym: until one is blue in the face
Similar: until one is blue in the face

Translations

Every language

phrase For a very long time

Français	aussi longtemps qu'on veut
Deutsch	bis zum Sankt-Nimmerleins-Tag
Italiano	fino a domani, tutto il giorno

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MLA

"until the cows come home." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/until%20the%20cows%20come%20home. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

until the cows come home. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/until%20the%20cows%20come%20home

Chicago

"until the cows come home." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/until%20the%20cows%20come%20home.

BibTeX

@misc{until_the_cows_come_home_2026,
  title = {until the cows come home},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/until%20the%20cows%20come%20home},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}