castle in the air
A hope or wish, especially for one's life, that is unlikely to come true. A daydream. I really want to become a famous Hollywood actor, but I realize that it's just a castle in the air and that I shouldn't quit my day job. You need sound financial advice and a strong plan if you're going to start your own business. Right now, it sounds like you only have castles in the air. When is Ryan going to realize that this is just a castle in the air and someone with his grades will never get into Yale?
castles in the air
Dreams, hopes, or plans that are impossible, unrealistic, or have very little chance of succeeding. You need sound financial advice and a strong plan if you're going to start your own business—don't just build castles in the air. He keeps talking about how he'll move to Los Angeles to be a famous actor, but it's just castles in the air if you ask me. When is Ryan going to give up these castles in the air? Someone with his grades will never get into an Ivy League school!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
castles in the air
Also, castles in Spain. Dreams about future success, as in Musing about the bestseller list, she was apt to build castles in the air. The first term dates from the late 1500s. The variant, castles in Spain (or chateaux en Espagne), was recorded in the Roman de la Rose in the 13th century and translated into English about 1365.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
castles in the air
If you describe someone's plans as castles in the air, you mean that they are not realistic and have no chance of succeeding. `Along the way, I intend to become very rich.' He shook his head in wonder at her. `You're building castles in the air, Anne.' This could be seen as an admission that Carter's election promises were just castles in the air.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
(build) ˌcastles in the ˈair
(have) plans, hopes, etc. which are unlikely to become reality: They talked about moving to Australia, but they knew they were really only building castles in the air.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017