What does "When the cows go home" means?

Answer 1

In the old days, in the morning in Britain and Europe, the cows which were the main farm animals were let or taken into the grazing fields. In the evening, they were brought back to their stables or whatever was their protective enclosures at the farm. Cattle left out in the field are usually easy prey to wild carnivorous animals. One must understand that dairy cows in Europe are unlike the snorting fierce steers in the US. So, the farmer brings them in late in the evening just before the sun goes down. Furthermore, European farms of old did not have thousands of heads of cattle.

The term, "when the cows come home or you can talk till the cows come home", was coined to define a period of time that stretched all day long or simply a long time.

Answer 2

Cows return to the barn on a farm at the end of the day, near sunset, often all by themselves. The farmer's day ends soon after that (especially back when there was no electricity). So the phrase ''when the cows come home'' means it will be the last thing done or the last thing on your mind.

Answer 3

The phrase is actually; when the cows come home. It's an old phrase used to describe something that either won't happen or will be very slow at happening. LIKE COWS. Cows are not like dogs or men you can't train them.

Answer 4

* This is an ironical expression, whereby someone suggests that something will happen but certainly in a time that will never really come. The origin is probably from a fable in which a king promises to release a young man from death if he is able to tell him a never-ending story. And the astute young man tells a tale of ducks passing along in a stream. One duck follows the other, and the ducks never stop coming. So the story never reaches the end. Waiting for all the ducks to pass means waiting for ever.

Answer 5

Cows don't go home. They will stay out in the field all day and all night. (Dairy cows will go in to be milked only when they are ready). Other cows (beef) will stay out in the snow and cold.

When the cows come = when hell freezes over....

Answer 6

The saying is WHen the cows COME home.

IE cows will not COME home on their own. IE NEVER...

Answer 7

like when cows leave to there homes
i quess

Answer 8

I think it means when they start to head back to the barn from the fields

Answer 9

it means forever.
Cows never willingly come back to the barn. That's the point.

Answer 10

It says that it will take a long time or never