proverb · Words worth keeping
When two Sundays come in one week—that is, never.
When two Sundays come in one week—that is, never.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying postpones something until two Sundays occur in one week, then explains this as never. It expresses refusal or impossibility through a deliberately unavailable date.
What the words are saying
The final gloss removes uncertainty about the intended force of the calendar image. A useful reading recognises that the phrase is not a genuine scheduling proposal. In practical conversation, the speaker may need to state a refusal plainly so others do not continue waiting for an agreement that is not being offered.
Everyday example
Someone replaces a joking impossible date with a clear answer that the proposed arrangement will not happen.
When to use it
Use it to recognise a figurative way of saying never.
What it does not mean
The explanation follows the source’s explicit gloss rather than asserting a rule about every calendar system.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1686 · Two Sundays
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English