cloud-cuckoo land

cloud-cuckoo land

A state or realm of unrealistic and idealized fancy, beyond the realms of possibility. Often preceded by "live/be in." He's always got some harebrained schemes on how to fix the world, all of them right out of cloud-cuckoo land! If Tom thinks he'll be able to live off his bad poetry, he's living in cloud-cuckoo land!
See also: land
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cloud-cuckoo land

An idealized mythical domain, as in That idea about flying cars is straight out of cloud-cuckoo land. This expression originated as a translation from the Greek of Aristophanes' play The Birds, where it signifies the realm built by the birds to separate the gods from humankind. It came into use in the 1820s. During the 19th century it began to be used for a place of wildly fanciful dreams, unrealistic expectations, or the like, and it also acquired the connotation of "crazy" (from cuckoo, slang for "crazy" since about 1900). Also see la-la land; never-never land.
See also: land
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

Cloud Cuckoo Land

A nonexistent place of perfection, a utopia. This phrase comes from The Birds by the Greek dramatist Aristophanes, in which the birds decide to build a perfect city called Cloud Cuckoo City. Over the years “City” became “Land.”
See also: cloud, cuckoo, land
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • Cloud Cuckoo Land
  • la-la land
  • la-la land, in
  • cuckoo
  • be in cloud-cuckoo land
  • live in cloud-cuckoo land
  • possibility
  • realm
  • beyond the realm(s) of possibility
  • beyond/within the realms of possibility
References in periodicals archive
Anyone who thinks that PS3 a day is enough to feed the average patient is living in cloud-cuckoo land.
The Prime Minister is living in cloud-cuckoo land as she denies the damage she is inflicting on the youngest generations.
IS Adam Johannes living in cloud-cuckoo land (Feedback, October 2)?
He is living in cloud-cuckoo land" - Former England batsman Sir Geoffrey Boycott.
THE NorthWest Ambulance Service Trust is "living in cloud-cuckoo land", SAYSWARRINGTON North's MP.
IF we are looking for someone of unblemished character to captain England we're in cloud-cuckoo land. Amid the latest John Terry furore, people are even talking up Joe Hart - a 21-year- old goalkeeper with a handful of caps.
If Billy Direct (Chatroom, Thursday) believes today's racing is more corrupt than some years ago, I have to suggest he is living in cloud-cuckoo land.
Thank goodness Mr Long - who together with Mark Brittain appears to be believing in some strange form of cloud-cuckoo land - is not responsible for Britain's foreign and defence policies.
If you've ever wondered about the origin of the expression 'cloud-cuckoo land', look no further than Aristophanes' play The Birds.
SIR - Mark Hoban, Minister for Employment, ("Getting off benefits and into work is transforming lives", Nov 7) is living in cloud-cuckoo land if he thinks that the disenfranchised disabled are given any support.
I do believe that union leaders live in cloud-cuckoo land.
MARK JAMES, Europe's Ryder Cup skipper, claims American golfers demanding payment for playing in next month's clash at Brookline, Boston, are "living in cloud-cuckoo land."
SCOTTISH separatists are in cloud-cuckoo land if they think they can have the benefits of Britain without living here.
SIR - You do not have to go abroad to find a train company that has won the confidence and approval of the community it serves (``Destination Cloud-Cuckoo Land'', Western Mail, Feb 1).
GEORGE Osborne lives in cloud-cuckoo land if he really believes the wheezing British economy has turned a corner.