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Meaning of "Buckley's chance" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD BUCKLEY'S CHANCE

Of obscure origin.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF BUCKLEY'S CHANCE

Buckley's chance  [ˈbʌklɪz] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF BUCKLEY'S CHANCE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Buckley's chance is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES BUCKLEY'S CHANCE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

William Buckley (convict)

William Buckley was an English convict who was transported to Australia, escaped, was given up for dead and lived in an Aboriginal community for many years. Buckley's improbable survival is believed by many Australians to be the source of the vernacular phrase "you've got Buckley's or none", which means "no chance", or "it's as good as impossible". The Macquarie Dictionary supports this theory, although the ANU Australian National Dictionary Centre tends to support a second theory: that the expression was a pun on the name of a now defunct Melbourne department store chain, Buckley & Nunn.

Definition of Buckley's chance in the English dictionary

The definition of Buckley's chance in the dictionary is no chance at all Often shortened to: Buckley's.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH BUCKLEY'S CHANCE


biweeklies
baɪˈwiːklɪz
Buckley´s
ˈbʌklɪz
collies
ˈkɒlɪz
crinklies
ˈkrɪŋklɪz
dailies
ˈdeɪlɪz
follies
ˈfɒlɪz
friendlies
ˈfrendlɪz
gullies
ˈɡʌlɪz
Heelys
ˈhiːlɪz
jellies
ˈdʒɛlɪz
mollies
ˈmɒlɪz
monthlies
ˈmʌnθlɪz
rallies
ˈrælɪz
trolleys
ˈtrɒlɪz
wallies
ˈwælɪz
weeklies
ˈwiːklɪz
wellies
ˈwɛlɪz
Westerlies
ˈwɛstəlɪz
willies
ˈwɪlɪz
wrinklies
ˈrɪŋklɪz

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE BUCKLEY'S CHANCE

Buckingham Palace
Buckinghamshire
buckish
buckishly
buckjumper
buckjumping
Buckland
buckle
buckle down
buckled
buckler
buckler fern
Buckley´s
buckling
buckminsterfullerene
bucko
buckra
buckrake
buckram
Bucks

WORDS THAT END LIKE BUCKLEY'S CHANCE

a dog´s chance
advance
bechance
by chance
chance
enhance
fighting chance
hance
happenchance
mischance
not a cat in hell´s chance
off chance
off-chance
on the chance
on the off chance
on the off-chance
outside chance
perchance
snaphance
stand a chance
the main chance

Synonyms and antonyms of Buckley's chance in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «Buckley's chance» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF BUCKLEY'S CHANCE

Find out the translation of Buckley's chance to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of Buckley's chance from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «Buckley's chance» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

巴克利的机会
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

Oportunidad de Buckley
570 millions of speakers

English

Buckley´s chance
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

बकले है मौका
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

فرصة باكلي
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

Шанс Бакли
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

Oportunidade de Buckley
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

বক্লির সুযোগ
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

La chance de Buckley
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Peluang Buckley
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Buckley Chance
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

バックリーのチャンス
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

버클리 의 기회
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Buckley kasempatan
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

Cơ hội Buckley
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

பக்லேவின் வாய்ப்பு
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

बक्लीची संधी
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Buckley´nin şansı
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

Possibilità di Buckley
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

Szansa Buckleya
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

Шанс Баклі
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

Șansă lui Buckley
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

Ευκαιρία του Buckley
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

Buckley se kans
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

Buckleys chans
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

Buckley sjanse
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of Buckley's chance

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «BUCKLEY'S CHANCE»

The term «Buckley's chance» is used very little and occupies the 184.712 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Rarely used
14
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «Buckley's chance» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of Buckley's chance
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «Buckley's chance».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «BUCKLEY'S CHANCE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «Buckley's chance» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «Buckley's chance» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about Buckley's chance

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «BUCKLEY'S CHANCE»

Discover the use of Buckley's chance in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to Buckley's chance and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Buckley's Chance
Biography of an Australian commercial pilot, focussing on amusing, interesting or bizarre incidents from his long career, including several which involved him in altercations with aviation authorities.
Bob Stevens, 1998
2
Only in Tasmania
The true origin of the term 'Buckley's Chance' is not known, but the most popular theory has roots right here in Tasmania. A man named William Buckley was transported for life and whilst on a convict ship headed for Port Phillip, Buckley ...
Sandra Huett, 2012
3
A Dictionary of Catch Phrases
See: whostruck B.;and: Buckley's (chance); you've got Buckley's Buckley's ( chance); you've got Buckley's (chance), and you haven't, orhehasn't,(occ. a) Buckley's (chance); (there are just) twochances: Buckley's and none (very emphatic), and ...
Eric Partridge, 2003
4
Australian Language and Culture
If somebody tells you that you have Buckley's, Buckley's chance or Buckley's and none, they're saying you have little or no chance. This expression refers in part to convict William Buckley, who managed to escape from the Port Phillip Bay ...
Barry Blake, 2007
5
The Agricultural Magazine, Or, Farmers' Monthly Journal of ...
55 19 A shearing Ram, by Mr. Buckley's Chance, to Mr. Payne, at 31gs. 56 20 A ditto, by a son of K. In and In, to Mr. Heeks, at 25gs. 57 21 Two shear by Mr. Buckley's K. In and In, to Mr. Moore, at 55gs. 58 22 Ditto, by Mr. Buckley's Chance , to J.
6
The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional ...
Buckley's chance | bud Most rhyming slang for 'Jew' uses 'two'; this term takes a traditional nursery-rhyme: 'one, two / buckle my shoe'. • [A] raspberry ripple, a buckle my shoe[.]— Ian Dury, Blackmail Man. 1977 Buckley's chance; Buckley's ...
Eric Partridge, Tom Dalzell, Terry Victor, 2006
7
The Dinkum Dictionary
Susan Butler. Buckley's chance Buckley's chance He wheeled his team on the mountainside and set 'em a merry pace, A-galloping over the rocks and stones, and a lot of Boers gave chase; But Driver Smith had a fairish start, and he said to  ...
Susan Butler, 2010
8
Melbourne & Victoria. Con Pianta. Ediz. Inglese
John Morgan's 1852 book TheLife&AdventuresofWilliam Buckley provides an insight into Aboriginal life before white settlement. The Australian colloquialism ' Buckley's chance' (or 'You've got Buckley's' – meaning a very slim or no chance) is ...
‎2008
9
The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and ...
Buckley's chance; Buckley's hope; Buckley's noun no chance at all. Thought to be named after William Buckley, an escaped convict,butthe factthathe evadedcapture byliving with Aboriginalsfor 32 years would ratherimply that Buckley's chance ...
Terry Victor, Tom Dalzell, 2007
10
Faces in the Street
Buckley's: Forlorn hope, from 'You've got Buckley's chance', ie, no chance at all. Derivation is debated; some have suggested the colloquialism derives from William Buckley (qv). However, the Melbourne department store of Buckley & Nunn ...
Pip Wilson, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «BUCKLEY'S CHANCE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term Buckley's chance is used in the context of the following news items.
1
A trip of a lifetime... with a four-year-old
Acquaintances also questioned whether it was even worth “spending all that money” on a trip for a kid who had next to Buckley's chance of ... «The West Australian, Jun 15»
2
Sydney 'slumlord' walks away with nearly $4 million
"We have absolutely Buckley's chance of getting anything " said Vicki Bonneville, who lost about $30,000 of equipment from her catering ... «9news.com.au, Jun 15»
3
The tyranny of the white picket fence: Abbott government can't be …
The new family tax benefits regime is due to come into effect on July 1 but has Buckley's chance of passing the Senate so there goes the ... «Sydney Morning Herald, Jun 15»
4
At last, a drink for irrigators
"At the moment we've got empty storages, no prospect of crops and with the weather forecast for El Nino, we've got Buckley's chance of any ... «The Land Newspaper, Jun 15»
5
Naughty Korner: How much is too much?
Unless you somehow found yourself among the world's top 1% of players, you would have Buckley's chance. It seems the best clubs in the ... «The Queensland Times, May 15»
6
The ten-round NRL review: Why your team won't win a thing
Won't. Titans Despite having Buckley's chance of winning anything this season, 2015 has been a raging success for the NRL's Jordan Belfort. «The Roar, May 15»
7
Australia's new Mr Retail steps up
Although there's Buckley's chance of that name being changed to better reflect what the company actually does anytime soon — especially with ... «Herald Sun, May 15»
8
New coal mines have Buckley's chance as China cuts consumption …
A prominent energy analyst says a slump in sales for China's biggest coal company should raise alarm bells for Australian producers. «ABC Online, Mar 15»
9
Can a business stop an ex-employee from listing it as a former …
Well, an employer has Buckley's chance grounding an action in copyright law (business names per se are not copyrightable). Nor would they ... «Lexology, Mar 15»
10
Tony Abbott says boasting more will solve the Coalition's problems …
Bishop has Buckley's chance because she is a woman and from WA. The NSW and Liberal MPs will want one of their own and that means ... «The Guardian, Jan 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Buckley's chance [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/buckleys-chance>. May 2024 ».
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