as the day is long
3
7.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
tan largo como el día
- Nice as the day is long.
- honest as the day is long
He is a very intellectual, soft spoken gentleman who is as honest as the day is long.
- He is a very intellectual, soft spoken gentleman who is as honest as the day is long.
Examples
-
John Wayne's real name was Marion Michael Morrison, and the man, the husband and father, the actor, was likely as friendly and likable as the day is long.
Academic text (2013) -
She practices the piano as the day is long, striving to become a great musician.
-
Public servants are as honest as the day is long.
Blog text (13) -
The minute they can't, they will cut him loose as sure as the day is long.
Blog text (31) -
But dos Santos is as honest as the day is long, and in the case of this question, he's also right.
Blog text (2) -
He has been working as the day is long to finish the project on time.
-
When it comes to supporting her friends, she is as the day is long loyal.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A period that lasts much longer than usual
3
9.9
Lasting the whole day or night
1
5.3
For a very long time with no clear end
Antonyms
How Long
∞
1.0
- Informal
3
7.7
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
4
5.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression uses a clear comparative structure ('as ... is') combining 'day' and 'long', so a learner who knows the words can reasonably infer it refers to a lengthy period of time. However, its emphatic, idiomatic use to mean 'continually' or 'to a great extent' is conventionalized and not fully predictable from the literal parts, making the relation only partially transparent.
Etymology
The idiom as the day is long may come from the simple image of a day that feels very long. If someone does something as the day is long, they do it all day or without stopping. So, it now means 'for a very long time' or 'continually'.