Chinaman's chance

English Etymology Originally a reference to the socio-economic prospects of immigrant Chinese labour in the United States in the 19th century, which often involved highly dangerous work on the railroads. Pronunciation en en-au-Chinaman's chance.ogg AU Noun Chinamen's chances en idiomatic offensive No chance; zero possibility. en 1932 1965 w:Delos W. Lovelace King Kong 103 And if I weren’t here now, Driscoll and Ann wouldn’t have a Chinaman’s chance.’ en 29 Jan 2005 Richard Corliss Anna May Wong Did It Right https://archive.is/20120912160237/www.time.com/time/columnist/corliss/article/0,9565,1022536,00.html Time The Chinese, who in the mid-19th century had come to America by the tens of thousands and helped build the transcontinental railway, were on the receiving end of much prejudicial legislation. . . . In the slang wisdom of the day, sojourners from the Middle Kingdom "didn't stand a Chinaman's chance." Synonyms en Chinaman's chance in hell