how long is a piece of string?

how long is a piece of string?
Australian Slang
this statement is said when someone asks you when something will be finnished, and it's one of those jobs that is finished when it's finished (impossible to determine a time)

English dialects glossary. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • how long is a piece of string? — british spoken phrase used for saying that it is impossible to answer a question about how big something is or how much time something will take ‘How long does it take for a claim to be processed?’ ‘How long is a piece of string?’ Thesaurus: ways …   Useful english dictionary

  • how long is a piece of string — see ↑string, 1 • • • Main Entry: ↑long how long is a piece of string Brit informal used as a reply to a question when the answer is not known “How long will you be staying?” “How long is a piece of string?” • • • Main Entry: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • how long is a piece of string — If someone has no idea of the answer to a question, they can ask How long is a piece of string? as a way of indicating their ignorance …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • How long is a piece of string? — British & Australian something that you say when someone asks you a question that you cannot answer about how big something is or how much time something will take. So how long does a project like that take? How long s a piece of string? …   New idioms dictionary

  • how long is a piece of string —    If someone has no idea of the answer to a question, they can ask How long is a piece of string? as a way of indicating their ignorance.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • How long is a piece of string —   If someone has no idea of the answer to a question, they can ask How long is a piece of string? as a way of indicating their ignorance …   Dictionary of English idioms

  • How long is a piece of string? — this statement is said when someone asks you when something will be finnished, and it s one of those jobs that is finished when it s finished (impossible to determine a time) …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • how long — 1. adjective a) what length. How long is that piece of string? b) what duration. I dont know how long the Amazon River is. 2. adverb what …   Wiktionary

  • long — long1 W1S1 [lɔŋ US lo:ŋ] adj comparative longer superlative longest ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(great length)¦ 2¦(great distance)¦ 3¦(large amount of time)¦ 4¦(particular length/distance/time)¦ 5¦(writing)¦ 6¦(clothing)¦ 7¦(tiring/boring)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • long — long1 W1S1 [lɔŋ US lo:ŋ] adj comparative longer superlative longest ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(great length)¦ 2¦(great distance)¦ 3¦(large amount of time)¦ 4¦(particular length/distance/time)¦ 5¦(writing)¦ 6¦(clothing)¦ 7¦(tiring/boring)¦ …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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