Donkey's years

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Meaning

A very long time. Usually appears after 'for' or 'in'. The shortened 'donkey's' is informal British usage. Regional use: United Kingdom, Ireland and Commonwealth English.

Origin

The wording 'donkey's years' is documented by 1876, earlier than some dictionaries once reported. It is bound up with a pun on a donkey's long ears and dialect pronunciations in which 'ears' and 'years' converge. Sources disagree over whether 'ears' or 'years' was historically primary, so a simple Cockney-rhyming-slang claim is too certain.

Variants

  • Donkeys' years
  • Donkey's ears
  • Donkey's

Usage Examples

  • I have not visited that little cinema in donkey's years.
  • The recipe has been in our family for donkey's years, though nobody remembers who wrote it down.

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