¹Formerly, an apostrophe was used after a final -s. However, new rules simplify forming genitives. My house is a stone’s throw from here (standard). For example: It's hard for the donkeys to win the race if they're going to carry the elephants on their backs. The Plural of Donkey The plural of donkey is donkeys. Live for about 25 years… Use their ears to communicate with other donkeys. APOSTROPHE IN IDIOMS. He’s lived in Ibadan for donkey’s years (standard). My house is a ~stone throw~ from here (nonstandard). He’s lived in Ibadan for ~donkey years~ (nonstandard). What does donkey's years expression mean? The phrase “donkey’s years,” meaning a long time, originated in the early 20th century, apparently as a pun on the long ears of a donkey. Years and years and donkey's ears, as the saying is. GAB * It's been donkey's years since I talked to Sarita and Garnish. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. donkey's years phrase. Donkey's years is now the more commonly used slang term when meaning 'a long time', but donkey's ears, although used little in recent years, has been a jokey alternative for some time - certainly from the early 20th century, viz. Can hear the call of another donkey - in a desert environment - 60 miles away. Milk of a female donkey is closest to human milk. 97 examples: The last few kilometres had to be covered on donkeys, along a path made almost… Learn more. Definition of donkey's years in the Idioms Dictionary. In a herd, they will groom each other. Have a good ~night sleep~ (nonstandard). ‘Many groups have done it informally for donkey's years.’ ‘I know one couple who have lived together for donkey's years, but she is buying the house and he pays his rent - in cash - every pay day.’ ‘I felt as if I had known all the patrons for donkey's years.’ ‘The " kits " for each experiment had been around for donkey's years.’ * Ramjet has been with this company for donkey's years. The expression seems to suggest that donkeys live for a long time. DO use the apostrophe to form the plural of an abbreviation that combines upper and lowercase letters or has interior periods: The department graduated five M.A.’s and two Ph.D.’s this year. ‘Many groups have done it informally for donkey's years.’ ‘I know one couple who have lived together for donkey's years, but she is buying the house and he pays his rent - in cash - every pay day.’ ‘I felt as if I had known all the patrons for donkey's years.’ ‘The " kits " for each experiment had been around for donkey's years.’ Prefer to be with other donkeys. (Jim Hightower) I spent my childhood playing in the woods, falling in ponds, getting chased by wasps, and riding donkeys … NOTE: If you leave out the periods, you can write MAs but you’d still have to write PhD’s. * The project has been going on for donkey's years. Have a good night’s sleep (standard). Examples of donkey in a sentence, how to use it. 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