Talk the hind leg off a donkey

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Meaning

Talk at exhausting length, especially with little pause for anyone else. Informal and humorous. Singular and plural leg forms both occur. Regional use: Chiefly United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Origin

This is comic impossibility rather than a literal anecdote: the talker is imagined as so persistent that even a sturdy animal loses a leg. Related hyperboles involving a horse were being called old or vulgar by 1808, while donkey forms are documented in the 19th century. No individual inventor is known.

Variants

  • Talk the hind legs off a donkey
  • Talk a donkey's hind leg off
  • Talk the hind leg off a horse

Usage Examples

  • Leave Mo beside the buffet and he will talk the hind leg off a donkey.
  • The caller could talk a donkey's hind leg off, but never quite answered my question.

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