Some idioms with 'day'

[Haihao]

Hi,

I have got some idioms with 'day' and want to make sure of the meaning of the 'day'. Could you help me out with this?

1. That'll be the day! Here, does the 'day' imply 'the last day'?
2. Every dog has its day. Is its day = a good day?
3. Make my day. Also a kind of good day or make me happy or something?

Thank you.

haihao

[Alan]

Hi Haihao,

! suggests if something does happen then it will be amazing/surprising. 'The day' here indicates that it will probably never happen as in: A The time will come when all wars will stop B That'll be the day!

2 suggests everyone however unimportant they may be will have a moment of glory. This is often a comment made when someone you have never heard of suddenly achieves success.

3 when this is said in the imperative form to another person, this is often a sarcastic comment when you are taunting/challenging someone by telling them to do something which you believe they will never do. Often used in the past tense when something has made you very happy as in: It made my day when I heard that my daughter had given birth to our first grandchild.

A
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[Prezbucky]

#3 is part of one of the most famous lines in the history of cinematic entertainment:

"Go ahead... make my day."
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