Month of Sundays
A month of Sundays is an old English expression meaning a very long time. Though it sounds like Southern country talk today, it began in British English centuries ago and isn’t a traditional Southern or Appalachian saying.
synonyms: a long time, forever and a day, ages, an eternity
Hillbilly Dude Says...
It doesn't come up often, but 'a month of Sundays' does sometimes - usually when referring to the last time you did something. Hillbilly Dude Says...
It doesn't come up often, but 'a month of Sundays' does sometimes - usually when referring to the last time you did something. Pronunciation
[munth uh SUN-dayz]
/ˈmʌnθ ə ˈsʌn.deɪz/
Meaning & Usage
- A very long time (idiomatic exaggeration)
Ray:
When’s that porch ever gonna get painted?
When’s that porch ever gonna get painted?
Emma:
Honey, not for a month of Sundays.
Honey, not for a month of Sundays.variations: month of Sundays, a whole month of Sundays
Origin
The phrase comes from British English, where it appeared in print in the 1700s as a humorous way to describe a long stretch of time.
It spread through general American speech but was never specific to the South or Appalachia. Its folksy rhythm makes many people assume it must be Southern, but it does not appear in older regional dialect collections as a native phrase.
Verdict: Southernish. Sounds homey and country, used in the South, but not Southern-born.
Notes
- Used playfully to mean a long wait.
- Common across all English-speaking countries.
- Feels at home in Southern storytelling even though it’s British in origin.
- Often paired with other time-exaggerations like "forever and a day."
Related Pages
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 16). Month of Sundays. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/month-of-sundays
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Month of Sundays." HillbillySlang.com, 16 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/month-of-sundays.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Month of Sundays." HillbillySlang.com. November 16, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/month-of-sundays.
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