bwyta uwd â mynawyd

Welsh

Etymology

Literally, “to eat porridge with an awl”.

Verb

bwyta uwd â mynawyd (first-person singular present bwytâf uwd â mynawyd)

  1. (idiomatic) to herd cats, to attempt the impossible
  • pan fydd Nadolig yn yr haf, a gwsberis yn y gaeaf (literally “when Christmas will be in the summer and goosberries in winter”)
  • pan fydd uffern yn rhewi drosodd (“when Hell freezes over”)
  • pan fydd yr Wyddfa’n gaws (“when pigs fly”, literally “when Snowdon is made of cheese”)
  • tan ddydd Sul y pys (“when pigs fly”, literally “until the peas' Sunday”)
  • unwaith yn y pedwar amser (“once in a blue moon”, literally “once in the four seasons”)
  • unwaith yn y pedwar gwynt (“once in a blue moon”, literally “once in the four winds”)

Further reading

  • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “mynawyd”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
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