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I was wondering whether any of the following sentences do not make a good sense to you or that phrasing or idiom sounds a little bizarre to you. Actually, whereas all of the following idioms indicate a moment in time that will never come, they all mean the same to me:

more or less mean the same thing.

Example 1)
A) Let me go! I won't come along with you. I don't like the company of such people.
B) But believe me; they love you; I don't know why you're spiting me, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it. You just try once.
A) I won't come. I'll stay right here!
B) Ok; suit yourself! ........................... (said sarcastically)

1.a. Stay there till hell freezes over.
1.b. Say there till the sun sets in the east.
1.c. Say there till a cold day in hell.
1.d. Say there till pigs fly.
To me, they all work here properly and without any significant nuance.

Example 2:
I love you from the bottom of my heart Samantha and I give you my word that.................

2.a. I’ll be with you till hell freezes over.
2.b. I’ll be with you till sun sets in the east.
2.c. I’ll be with you till a cold day in hell.
2.d. I’ll be with you till pigs fly.

The same goes here and I think they mean the same thing here as well. The only things that I'm hung up on are the possibility of 1.b and 2.b as being something translated from another language as well as some fixed phrasings that would cause some cases sound more idiomatic in each scenario. Please kindly enlighten me.

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  • Are you trying to write an English manual? That A, B and C stuff is all off. Too much work to go into every detail.
    – Lambie
    Nov 14, 2020 at 17:19
  • Exactly @Lambie. I have been involved in this matter for a long time. I have even mentioned that many times. Regarding the off part I did not follow you unfortunately! Did you mean that there was something wrong with my numbering method or all "a", "b" and "c" choices are incorrect and only "d" works here in your view?
    – A-friend
    Nov 14, 2020 at 18:42

1 Answer 1

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None of the examples sounds natural to me. All of the examples 2 are inappropriate because none of the idiomatic expressions you mention has a loving, romantic tone.

The idioms are all emphatic rejections of a possibility.

In examples 1, it might be more natural if the person intending to stay where they are were to say "I'll go with you when hell freezes over!", rather than the for the other person to say it. The expressions describe an event unlikely to happen, but you have used them for an event that is about to happen.

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  • Well, I was wondering what idiom / expression should I use instead for the second case @Jack O'Flaherty? Besides, as you mentioned "none of my examples anatural to you!" But I am somehow confident that all sentences in the group #1? are natural English. Please clarify your intention.
    – A-friend
    Nov 14, 2020 at 16:43
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    The 'pigs' one is usually used when someone claims that something desirable might well happen, and another person retorts "And pigs might fly!"
    – Kate Bunting
    Nov 14, 2020 at 16:57
  • @A-friend As to examples 1, please review my answer. All the expressions are negative; you've used them in a positive sense. As to examples 2, "I'll be with you til hell freezes over" sounds like an expression of despair.
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Nov 14, 2020 at 17:06
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    @A-friend I'll be with you forever. I'll be with you till the end of time. I'll be with you till our dying day. (for some more romantic expressions.)
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Nov 14, 2020 at 17:09
  • Regarding the #2 you are exactly right and I truly appreciate your time and effort answering my question @JackO'Flaherty, but concerning the case #1 I think the person is talking in an absolutely sarcastic and negative manner. I home I am getting my point across now. That being said, I think in a derogatory tone they all should work. I think unfortunately your answer to the first case added far more ambiguities to my questions.
    – A-friend
    Nov 14, 2020 at 18:35

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