not have an earthly chance

Idioms & Phrases

not have an earthly chance

Also, stand no earthly chance. Have no chance whatever, as in She doesn't have an earthly chance of getting into medical school, or Bill stands no earthly chance of winning the lottery. The use of no earthly in the sense of "no conceivable" dates from the mid-1700s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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