till the fat lady sings and when the fat lady sings 30778

till the fat lady sings and when the fat lady sings
Fig. at the end; a long time from now. (Supposedly from a tale about a child—sitting through an opera—who asks a parent when it will be over. "Not until the fat lady sings" is the answer.) Relax. It won't be over till the fat lady sings. We can leave with everybody else when the fat lady sings.