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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