a fool's paradise

A happy state that one inhabits for foolish, unfounded, or delusional reasons. We were living in a fool's paradise thinking that the financial successes of the early 2000s would last forever. Does she really think she can protect her kids from every negative thing in life? If so, she's in a fool's paradise! Now that I live on my own and cover all of my expenses, I know I was in a fools' paradise when I thought this job paid well!

See also: paradise

a/(one's) (little) piece of paradise

A place, especially a home or piece of land, that one finds especially beautiful, serene, or ideal. My wife's father owns a lakeside cabin out in Michigan, a little piece of paradise that we visit every summer. The money we got from the inheritance allowed us to transform our home into our own little piece of paradise. A: "How was your trip to Bali?" B: "Absolutely incredible. The beach where we were staying was truly a piece of paradise."

a/(one's) (little) slice of paradise

A place, especially a home or piece of land, that one finds especially beautiful, serene, or ideal. My wife's father owns a lakeside cabin out in Michigan, a little slice of paradise that we visit every summer. The money we got from the inheritance allowed us to transform our home into our own little slice of paradise. A: "How was your trip to Bali?" B: "Absolutely incredible. The beach where we were staying was truly a slice of paradise."

be living in a fool's paradise

To be in a happy state for foolish, unfounded, or delusional reasons. We were living in a fool's paradise thinking that the financial successes of the early 2000s would last forever. Does she really think she can protect her kids from every negative thing in life? If so, she's living in a fool's paradise! Now that I live on my own and cover all of my expenses, I know I was in a fools' paradise when I thought this job paid well!

just another day in fucking paradise

rude Used to express that things are really not going well or that something very frustrating or infuriating has happened. A: "It appears that the whole file has become corrupted." B: "Oh, you have got to be kidding! An entire month of work, down the drain. Just another day in fucking paradise, then." A: "Hey, Bill, how you doing?" B: "Oh, you know. My job sucks and my marriage is on the rocks, so just another day in fucking paradise. You?"

See also: another, fucking, just, paradise

just another day in paradise

Used to express that one's life is proceeding acceptably or things are going as expected. Often used sarcastically to imply the opposite. A: "Hey, Bill, how you doing?" B: "Oh, fine. You know, just another day in paradise." A: "It appears that the whole file has become corrupted." B: "Oh, great, an entire month of work, down the drain. Just another day in paradise, then."

just another fucking day in paradise

rude Used to express that things are really not going well or that something very frustrating or infuriating has happened. A: "It appears that the whole file has become corrupted." B: "Oh, you have got to be kidding! An entire month of work, down the drain. Just another fucking day in paradise, then." A: "Hey, Bill, how you doing?" B: "Oh, you know. My job sucks and my marriage is on the rocks, so just another fucking day in paradise. You?"

See also: another, fucking, just, paradise

live in a fool's paradise

To be in a happy state for foolish, unfounded, or delusional reasons. We were living in a fool's paradise thinking that the financial successes of the early 2000s would last forever.

paradise on earth

A stunningly beautiful, idyllic place. The resort we stayed at in Thailand was basically paradise on earth. It had the most gorgeous ocean views you've ever seen in your life.

trouble in paradise

cliché Stress, difficulty, unhappiness, or discontentment in what is thought to be a happy or stable situation, often a marriage or romantic relationship. I think that's David's husband over there flirting with the bartender. Surely there isn't trouble in paradise already? It looks like there might be trouble in paradise for the tech giant, as news is leaking of a major internal power struggle within the company.

fool's paradise

Fig. a state of being happy for foolish or unfounded reasons. I'm afraid that Sue's marital happiness is a fool's paradise; there are rumors that her husband is unfaithful. Fred is confident that he'll get a big raise this year, but I think he's living in a fool's paradise.

See also: paradise

paradise (on earth)

Fig. a place on earth that is as lovely as paradise. The retirement home was simply a paradise on earth. The beach where we went for our vacation was a paradise.

fool's paradise

State of delusive contentment or false hope. For example, Joan lived in a fool's paradise, looking forward to a promotion she would never get. This expression was first recorded in 1462.

See also: paradise

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.

be living in a fool's paradise

If someone is living in a fool's paradise, they believe wrongly that their situation is good, when really it is not. Anyone who believes that this deal heralds a golden new era for the European air traveller is living in a fool's paradise. Note: You can also use a fool's paradise on its own to mean a situation where someone thinks things are good, but really they are not. Mrs Deedes looks much happier. But surely hers is a fool's paradise.

a fool’s ˈparadise

a state of happiness which cannot last because something which you have not thought of is threatening to destroy it: You’ve been living in a fool’s paradise. How long do you think we can go on spending our money without earning more?

See also: paradise

fool's paradise, a

Bliss based on illusion, ignorance, or misunderstanding. The expression dates from the fifteenth century, when it appeared in print in William Paston’s letters (1462: “I wold not be in a folis paradyce”). It recurs again and again, in numerous sixteenth-century sources (including Pettie, Lyly, and Shakespeare), and was certainly a cliché by the time George Bernard Shaw wrote, “Beguiling tedious hours with romances and fairy tales and fools’ paradises” (Misalliance, 1910).

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