A Snowball's Chance
Bapopik at AOL.COM
Bapopik at AOL.COM
Sun Sep 25 16:52:07 UTC 2005
I forgot to add the OED citation. Shoot me. Please?
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** With another substantive. b. not a chance, hope, in hell: no
possibility; also, a snowball's chance in hell and similar phrases.
1923 _O. ONIONS_ (http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-o.html#o-onions)
Peace in Our Time iii. 37 ‘I rather fancied Lovelightly.’ ‘Lovelightly? Not
a hope in Hell!’ 1931 Amer. Speech VI. 435 As much chance as a snowball in
hell. 1961 _K. VONNEGUT_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-v.html#k-vonnegut) Sirens of Titan (1962) v. 129 The Army of Mars didn't have the
chance of a snowball in hell. 1963 _J. T. STORY_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-s5.html#j-t-story) Something for Nothing iii. 79 ‘What are the
chances of a job here, then?’ Albert asked. ‘For ‘not a chance in hell.’ She
spoke matter-of-factly. 1966 _J. PORTER_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-p3.html#j-porter) Sour Cream vii. 94 One telephone call from Melkin..and
Babak wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell. 1972 Listener 27 Jan. 126/2
Poor Robert's empirical doubts don't stand a snowflake's chance in hell.
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