Satan wears a parka

The expression "When **** freezes over" means "that will never happen."

If it's cold enough for Satan to need a parka (a coat for cold weather) it must be cold in ****.

In other words, something has happened that on one ever thought would happen.

(This is not a standard idiom.)

Thanks Barbara, that was helpful. So the idiom "When **** freezes over" is more popular than the one with a parka?

Anonymous Thanks Barbara, that was helpful. So the idiom "When **** freezes over" is more popular than the one with a parka?

Barb has already said that 'Satan wears a parka' is not a standard idiom. I, a native speaker for over 65 years, have frequently heard 'when **** freezes over'. I have never hard anything about Satan wearing a parka.

I agree with Barbara.

I'm not sure in what context you heard this expression, but it is common in southern U.S. colloquial speech to invent such sayings. I have heard, for example, "Satan must be buying ice skates" as an expression of the unbelievable or unlikelihood of something. But this is absolutely non-standard.

The standard idiom, as the two other posts have mentioned i

Thanks fivejedjon and KJinCali79. That cleared it up!

KJinCali79Another idiom with a similar meaning is, "when pigs fly."

For an offshoot of this expression, Google "porcine aviation". You may be surprised at the number of hits you get.

Pigs fly a lot in Pink Floyd's world

KJinCali79That being said, it is important to learn the standard i

You can't. You can always ask