donkey

Related to donkey: zebra

can talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey

Is very (perhaps overly) talkative. Don't start a conversation with Stu if you want to leave on time tonight—that guy can talk the hind leg off a donkey.
See also: can, donkey, hind, off, talk

do the donkey work

To do difficult and tedious work. Primarily heard in UK. Oh, don't worry, we can get our interns to do the donkey work for us.
See also: donkey, work

donkey work

Difficult and tedious work. Oh, don't worry, we can get our interns to do this donkey work for us.
See also: donkey, work

donkey's breakfast

1. A mattress filled with straw. This term was commonly used by sailors. There's nothing I can sleep on—not even a donkey's breakfast?
2. A straw hat. Hand me my donkey's breakfast, will you? It's awfully sunny out today.
See also: breakfast

donkey's ears

An exceptionally long period of time. The phrase likely originated as rhyming slang, where "ears" rhymes with "years" and alludes to the length of a donkey's ears. Throughout time, it became more popularized as "donkey's years." I haven't seen Jim in donkey's ears! How's he doing these days? It's been donkey's ears since we last got together like this.
See also: ear

donkey's years

A long time. I haven't been here in donkey's years—I can't believe how much the town has changed.
See also: year

for donkey's years

For a long time. I haven't been here for donkey's years—I can't believe how much the town has changed.
See also: year

in donkeys

In an exceptionally long period of time. The phrase likely originated as the rhyming slang, shortened to simply "donkeys," of "donkey's ears" —where "ears" rhymes with "years" and alludes to the length of a donkey's ears. I haven't seen Jim in donkeys! How's he doing these days?
See also: donkey

it's on like Donkey Kong

slang Used to indicate intense readiness, eagerness, or anticipation for something, especially a competition or confrontation. A variant of the standard phrase "it's on," used with "Donkey Kong" (a popular video game character) as an intensifier and because of the slant rhyme it creates. He said what behind my back? Oh, it's on like Donkey Kong! The coach got everyone on the team hyped up before heading out onto the field. We all knew it was on like Donkey Kong!
See also: donkey, Kong, like, on

like giving a donkey strawberries

Said when one presents something valuable to someone who does not recognize its worth. Most of the time, playing classical music for high schoolers is like giving a donkey strawberries. But every so often a few kids appreciate it. A: "I can't believe he gave his brand-new convertible to that bumpkin." B: "I know, it's like giving a donkey strawberries."
See also: donkey, give, like, strawberry

like giving strawberries to a donkey

Said when one presents something valuable to someone who does not recognize its worth. Most of the time, playing classical music for high schoolers is like giving strawberries to a donkey. But every so often a few kids appreciate it. A: "I can't believe he gave his brand-new convertible to that bumpkin." B: "I know, it's like giving strawberries to a donkey."
See also: donkey, give, like, strawberry

pin the tail on the donkey

A children's game in which each participant takes turns attempting to attach a paper tail to the buttocks of a picture of a donkey. However, before they take their turn, each player is blindfolded and spun around in circles. The player able to get their tail closest to the target wins. I have a few games in mind for the party, like pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs. What do you think? You didn't win pin the tail on the donkey—my tail is way closer!
See also: donkey, on, pin, tail

suck donkey balls

rude slang To be remarkably bad, unpleasant, disappointing, or upsetting. Well, that movie sucked donkey balls. I wish I could get my money back! Yeah, I heard that class sucks donkey balls, so I'm taking an Intro to Chemistry course instead.
See also: ball, donkey, suck

talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey

To talk endlessly and exhaustingly. I love my Aunt Lily, but she'd talk the hind legs off a donkey if you let her!
See also: donkey, hind, off, talk

the straw that breaks the donkey's back

A seemingly small or inconsequential issue, problem, or burden that proves to be the final catalyst in causing an overworked or overburdened person, system, organization, etc., to fail, give up, or collapse. (A less common variant of "the straw that breaks the camel's back.") I'm already fed up with your lazy, selfish behavior, Jim, but if you can't be bothered to come with me to my own mother's funeral, that will be the straw that breaks the donkey's back! With governmental resources already strained to the breaking point, any sort of environmental disaster would be the straw that breaks the donkey's back.
See also: back, break, straw, that

the straw that broke the donkey's back

A seemingly small or inconsequential issue, problem, or burden that proves to be the final catalyst in causing an overworked or overburdened person, system, organization, etc., to fail, give up, or collapse. (A less common variant of "the straw that broke the camel's back.") I was already fed up with my husband's lazy, selfish ways, but it was his refusal to get off the couch and come with me to my mother's funeral that was the straw that broke the donkey's back! With governmental resources already strained to the breaking point, any sort of environmental disaster would likely be the straw that broke the donkey's back.
See also: back, broke, straw, that
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

donkey's years

A long time, as in I haven't seen her in donkey's years. This expression punningly alludes to the considerable length of the animal's ears. [Early 1900s]
See also: year

talk someone's arm off

Also, talk someone's ear or head or pants off ; talk a blue streak; talk until one is blue in the face; talk the bark off a tree or the hind leg off a donkey or horse . Talk so much as to exhaust the listener, as in Whenever I run into her she talks my arm off, or Louise was so excited that she talked a blue streak, or You can talk the bark off a tree but you still won't convince me. The first four expressions imply that one is so bored by a person's loquacity that one's arm (or ear or head or pants) fall off; they date from the first half of the 1900s (also see pants off). The term like a blue streak alone simply means "very quickly," but in this idiom, first recorded in 1914, it means "continuously." The obvious hyperboles implying talk that takes the bark off a tree, first recorded in 1831, or the hind leg off a horse, from 1808, are heard less often today. Also see under blue in the face.
See also: arm, off, talk
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

donkey's years

BRITISH, INFORMAL
If something lasts or has been happening for donkey's years, it lasts or has been happening for a very long time. I've been a vegetarian for donkey's years. He owns some old iron mines that haven't been used in donkey's years. Note: This expression was originally `as long as donkey's ears', which are very long. The change to `donkey's years' may have come about partly because the expression is used to talk about time, and partly because the original form is difficult to say clearly.
See also: year

do the donkey work

BRITISH
If you do the donkey work, you do the most physically tiring or boring parts of a job or piece of work. The bottom lot were the mechanics who did the sheer physical donkey work. We've been very fortunate getting a succession of secretaries who've managed to do the donkey work.
See also: donkey, work

talk the hind leg off a donkey

BRITISH
If you say that someone could talk the hind leg off a donkey, you mean that they talk a lot. You won't be short of conversation with Adrian. He could talk the hind leg off a donkey.
See also: donkey, hind, leg, off, talk
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

donkey work

the boring or laborious part of a job; drudgery.
2005 The Register I get the Systems guys to do all the donkey work once I'm sure it's up and running properly.
See also: donkey, work

for donkey's years

for a very long time. informal
For donkey's years is a pun referring to the length of a donkey's ears and playing on a former pronunciation of years as ears .
1998 Ardal O'Hanlon The Talk of the Town He'll be no loss, that's for sure. Sure his own family haven't spoken to him for donkey's years.
See also: year

talk the hind leg off a donkey

talk incessantly. British informal
In 1808 talking a horse's hind leg off was described as an ‘old vulgar hyperbole’ in Cobbett's Weekly Political Register , but the version with donkey was current by the mid 19th century. In 1879 Anthony Trollope mentioned talk the hind legs off a dog as an Australian variant.
1970 Nina Bawden The Birds on the Trees Talk, talk—talk the hind leg off a donkey, that one.
See also: donkey, hind, leg, off, talk
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the ˈdonkey work

(informal) the hard, boring parts of a job: Why is it always me who has to do the donkey work?
See also: donkey, work

ˈdonkey’s years

(British English, informal) a very long time: She’s lived in that house for donkey’s years.This is a play on words between ‘years’ and ‘ears’, the joke being that donkeys have long ears.
See also: year

talk the hind leg(s) off a ˈdonkey

(informal, humorous) (usually used with can or could) talk for a long time: He would make a good politician — he could talk the hind legs off a donkey!
See also: donkey, hind, leg, off, talk
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

donkey’s breakfast

n. something made of straw: a straw hat, a straw mattress, etc. The tourist was wearing a red dress and had a donkey’s breakfast on her head.
See also: breakfast

donkey’s years

n. a long time. (From British colloquial.) I haven’t seen you in donkey’s years.
See also: year
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

donkey's years

A long time. The origin here is disputed. Some say it is a rhyming term for donkey’s ears, which are quite long, and possibly also a punning allusion to the Cockney pronunciation of “years” as “ears”; others believe it alludes to donkeys being quite long-lived. The expression dates only from the late nineteenth century. Edward Lucas used it in The Vermilion Box (1916): “Now for my first bath for what the men call ‘donkey’s years,’ meaning years and years.”
See also: year
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • can talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey
  • can talk the legs off an iron pot
  • talk the hind leg off a donkey
  • talk the hind leg(s) off a donkey
  • hind
  • (as) crooked as a dog's hind leg
  • do the donkey work
  • donkey work
  • the donkey work
  • leg
References in classic literature
Inside were suspended many sheets of tin or thin iron, and against these metal sheets a row of donkeys were pounding their heels with vicious kicks.
"We were scaring away the foxes," said one of the donkeys, meekly.
"Extremely so," replied the donkey. "Notice what vulgar expressions she uses.
"Not in the daytime," said the donkey. "She can't see very well by day, poor thing.
One fellow would demand a dollar an hour for the use of his donkey; another claimed half a dollar for pricking him up, another a quarter for helping in that service, and about fourteen guides presented bills for showing us the way through the town and its environs; and every vagrant of them was more vociferous, and more vehement and more frantic in gesture than his neighbor.
When the wind changes they hitch on some donkeys and actually turn the whole upper half of the mill around until the sails are in proper position, instead of fixing the concern so that the sails could be moved instead of the mill.
He jumped to the ground, ran up to the donkey on whose back he had been riding, and taking his nose in his hands, looked at him.
"Come, come," said the Little Man, "do not lose time over a donkey that can weep.
And the donkey'll carry you as nice as can be; you'll see."
He lifted Maggie as he spoke, and set her on the donkey. She felt relieved that it was not the old man who seemed to be going with her, but she had only a trembling hope that she was really going home.
Then the Hunter said that to the old donkey, which was the witch, three beatings and one meal; to the younger one, which was the servant, one beating and three meals; and to the youngest one, which was the maiden, no beating and three meals; for he could not find it in his heart to let the maiden be beaten.
"Oh, that wretched donkey again, I see!" cried the lady.
Gamfield having lingered behind, to give the donkey another blow on the head, and another wrench of the jaw, as a caution not to run away in his absence, followed the gentleman with the white waistcoat into the room where Oliver had first seen him.
The donkeys were quickly jerked into attention, and the second carriage arrived.
I thoroughly believe that but for those unfortunate donkeys, we should have come to a good understanding; for my aunt had laid her hand on my shoulder, and the impulse was upon me, thus emboldened, to embrace her and beseech her protection.