Literal translation
when the pigeons suckle
Meaning
never
Explanation
This phrase means never, and is used to cut short a request or a hope judged unrealistic. The literal image rests on a biological impossibility: the pigeon, a bird with no mammary glands, never feeds its young by suckling, so it can by definition never suckle. Invoking such an event amounts to naming something that will strictly never happen, exactly as ordinary French says when hens grow teeth. The register is familiar, often mocking, and the phrase is mainly used in speech, as an ironic reply to a promise one doubts or a request one refuses politely but firmly. It belongs to a family of Provençal expressions built on animal absurdity, where the physical impossibility of a gesture serves to flatly deny any deadline. The traditional pronunciation noted alongside it confirms its rooting in spoken language. It is often heard from elders wishing to close a debate without appeal.