Ben Johnson The Devil Is An Ass When Pigs Fly

Ever found yourself staring at a screen, trying to make sense of a phrase that sounds like it was pulled from a fever dream? You might have stumbled across the bizarre, rhythmic, and frankly confusing expression: "Ben Johnson, the devil is an ass, when pigs fly."

It sounds like a line from a surrealist play or a very specific insult from a 17th-century tavern. But if you've been digging through literary history or old English idioms, you've likely realized that this isn't just gibberish. It’s a collision of historical figures, theological metaphors, and impossible scenarios.

What Is Ben Johnson, the Devil Is an Ass, When Pigs Fly

To understand this, we have to stop looking at it as a single sentence and start seeing it as a linguistic car crash. It’s a mashup of three distinct cultural pillars: a legendary playwright, a classic theological insult, and a staple of English impossibility.

The Ben Jonson Connection

First, let's clear up the name. But it’s actually Ben Jonson (spelled with a 'o'), a heavyweight of the English Renaissance. If you’ve ever read Shakespeare, you know Jonson was his contemporary and a massive influence. He wasn't just some guy writing plays; he was a master of the comedy of humours*.

In Jonson's world, characters weren't just "good" or "bad.When people reference him in these strange linguistic contexts, they are often nodding to his sharp, biting satire. That said, " They were driven by specific, often ridiculous, personality obsessions—greed, vanity, or lust. He had a way of looking at human folly and pointing it out with a surgical, sometimes cruel, precision.

The Devil is an Ass

Then we hit the middle part. On the flip side, "The devil is an ass" is a phrase that carries a lot of weight in older English. In this context, an "ass" isn't just a foolish person; it refers to the animal, symbolizing stubbornness and stupidity.

Calling the devil an ass is a way of stripping the ultimate personification of evil of its dignity. It’s a way of saying that evil isn't just dangerous—it's fundamentally stupid. It’s a theological jab that suggests that even the most powerful forces of darkness are ultimately bound by their own ridiculous, self-defeating nature.

When Pigs Fly

Finally, we reach the part we all know. "When pigs fly" is the ultimate English marker for impossibility. On the flip side, it’s the linguistic equivalent of "never. " It’s a way to dismiss a claim by tethering it to a biological impossibility.

So, when you put them all together, you get a sentence that functions as a high-level way of saying: "This is a ridiculous, foolish, and impossible idea." It’s a linguistic cocktail that blends literary history with folk wisdom.

Why It Matters / Why People Care

You might be thinking, "Why does this weird string of words matter in the 21st century?"

Real talk: language evolves, but it doesn't disappear. Plus, we live in an era of "memetic language," where old ideas are compressed into new, weird forms. Understanding these deep-cut idioms helps us understand how we communicate nuance.

When someone uses a phrase like this—or even a variation of it—they aren't just being confusing. They are using a shorthand for a very specific type of skepticism. They are saying that the idea being presented is not just wrong, but it is fundamentally absurd* and historically foolish*.

If you don't grasp the layers of these idioms, you miss the subtext. You might hear "Ben Jonson" and think it's a person's name, or hear "the devil is an ass" and think it's a religious commentary. But in the context of a larger argument, it's often being used to mock the logic of an opponent. It's a way of saying, "Your argument is as likely to come true as a flying pig, and as intellectually sound as a character from a satire about fools.

How It Works (or How to Do It)

Breaking down complex, multi-layered idioms requires a bit of detective work. You can't just look up one word and expect the whole meaning to click. You have to look at the components.

Deconstructing the Satire

When you encounter a phrase that combines a person's name with a ridiculous scenario, look for the "satirical intent." Most of these constructions are designed to mock.

In the case of Jonson, the intent is often to highlight human error. If you want to use this kind of language effectively (or at least understand it when it's used against you), you have to recognize that the speaker is likely mocking the logic* of the situation. They aren't just saying "no"; they are saying "your idea is a joke.

The Role of Metaphorical Impossibility

"When pigs fly" works because it uses a visual impossibility to represent a conceptual impossibility. To use this effectively in your own writing or speech, you have to match the "weight" of the impossibility to the "weight" of the claim.

Want to learn more? We recommend what is 2 of an hour and how many feet are in 1/4 of a mile for further reading.

If someone says, "I'll pay you back when pigs fly," they are using a light, colloquial impossibility. But if you combine it with something heavy, like a theological insult or a literary reference, you are escalating the insult. You are moving from "that won't happen" to "that is a ridiculous, foolish absurdity.

The Mechanics of Linguistic Layering

At its core, where it gets interesting. Language often works through "layering."

The Foundation: The basic meaning (e.g., "It won't happen").
The Modifier: Adding color or tone (e.g., "It's a stupid idea").
The Cultural Anchor: Adding a reference to history or literature to give the statement authority or deeper irony (e.g., "It's a Jonsonian level of folly").

When all three layers are present, you get a "power phrase." These are rare, but they hit much harder than a simple "no."

Common Mistakes / What Most People Get Wrong

Here is where most people trip up when they try to analyze or use complex idioms.

First, people often try to find a single, unified meaning for a phrase that is actually a collection of separate parts. "Ben Johnson, the devil is an ass, when pigs fly" doesn't have a single dictionary definition because it's a linguistic collage. It's a combination of different cultural threads. If you try to treat it as a single unit, you'll end up lost.

Another mistake is misattributing the source. So in many cases, they aren't. People often see these phrases in old books and assume they are direct quotes. They are "folk evolutions"—ways that people have mashed together famous names and famous idioms over centuries to create something new and biting.

Finally, there's the "over-intellectualization" trap. Just because a phrase is complex doesn't mean it's always being used in a scholarly way. Most of the time, it's just a very colorful way of being dismissive. Don't go looking for a deep philosophical treatise when someone is just trying to tell you that your idea is nonsense.

Practical Tips / What Actually Works

If you want to master the art of understanding—and using—complex, layered language, here is what actually works.

Context is everything. Before you try to decode a weird phrase, look at the surrounding text. Is the tone mocking? Is it academic? Is it poetic? The tone will tell you which "layer" of the phrase is the most important.
Break it down. If a sentence feels heavy or confusing, stop. Look at the individual components. Identify the nouns, the proper names, and the idioms. Once you've isolated the parts, the whole becomes much easier to manage.
Study the "Heavy Hitters." If you want to understand why people use names like Jonson or Shakespeare in these ways, you don't need a PhD, but you do need a basic grasp of the cultural "canon." Knowing that Jonson was a satirist changes how you interpret his name in a sentence.
Don't force it. In your own writing, don't try to use "big

phrases" just to sound smart. A well-placed, simple phrase is often more effective than a convoluted mess. Use these techniques to understand what others are saying, and when you do use complex idioms, make sure they serve the purpose of clarity or emphasis, not obfuscation.

The Bottom Line

Mastering complex, layered language isn't about memorizing obscure references or showing off your vocabulary. It's about understanding how meaning builds upon meaning, how a simple dismissal can become a work of art through the careful addition of tone and cultural weight.

When you encounter these phrases, resist the urge to panic or overthink. Break them apart, consider the context, and remember that even the most elaborate idiom is usually just someone's clever way of saying "no." The goal isn't to decode every reference perfectly—it's to grasp the intent behind the words and respond accordingly.

In your own communication, aim for precision over pretension. In real terms, whether you're crafting a simple rebuttal or deploying a multi-layered put-down, the most powerful language is that which achieves its purpose without losing its audience. Sometimes the best response really is just "It won't happen." Other times, it deserves a little more flourish.