la-la land

Related to la-la land: The Land of Nod, lay of the land

la-la land

1. A state of unrealistic and idealized fancy, beyond the realms of possibility. Sarah seems to be lost in la-la land these days. If Tom thinks he'll be able to live off his bad poetry, he's living in la-la land!
2. slang A nickname for Los Angeles (L.A.), California. Sometimes capitalized. She always had dreams of moving to La-La Land and becoming a famous actress.
See also: land
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

la-la land

1. Los Angeles, California (often abbreviated L.A.). This expression pokes fun at the alleged eccentricities of the city's inhabitants. For example, What do you expect? Frederick has lived in la-la land for ten years and it has rubbed off on him . [Slang; c. 1980]
2. A state of being out of touch with reality, as in I don't know what's going on with Amy-she seems to be in la-la land. [Slang; c. 1980] Also see cloud-cuckoo land; never-never land.
See also: land
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

la-la land, in

Out of touch with reality. This slangy equivalent of never-never land dates from the 1980s. The New York Times stated (Jan. 10, 1992), “Stanford is a multicultural la-la land. . . . It’s not the real world.” Capitalized, La-La Land is a jocular nickname for Los Angeles, California, a term that also dates from the 1980s.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • la-la land, in
  • live in cloud-cuckoo land
  • be in cloud-cuckoo land
  • cuckoo
  • Cloud Cuckoo Land
  • cloud-cuckoo land
  • beyond the realm(s) of possibility
  • beyond/within the realms of possibility
  • possibility
  • realm
References in periodicals archive
No, really - the dance music DJ is crossing the waters for a new life in La-La land.
She hinted at the Grammys that she may be too busy in LA-LA land.
ON LABOUR "People in all parts of the country will respond to and respect a party that's honest, rather than one that pretends we live in la-la land." ON THE WELSH STEEL INDUSTRY "Steel should be the heart of our economy, but I don't believe that the right answer is to look for endless routes of government subsidy and protection." ON HIS WEALTHY BACKGROUND "People are absolutely entitled to ask questions about your life, and I'm always very happy to discuss these things, but generally I think what really matters is, do you have the right ideas?" ON NEW ST ATHAN TRAINING BASE "We have to review the costs and value for money of all these things, nothing can be excluded from that."
She hinted at the Grammys she may have too much on in LA-LA land. "I'm having lots of meetings.
Neil McEwan, London STEVE Henderson (Letters, August 14) is living in la-la land.
The gorgeous Kate Beckinsale, star of Pearl Harbour and The Aviator, is now based in Hollywood but is keen to assure her British fans that she has not succumbed to la-la land madness.
DANCING on Ice star Danniella Westbrook, left, is skating off to La-La Land, but not before she saves up enough to cover the household bills.
La-la land comes to baa-baa land when Hollywood star AMANDA DONOHOE rides into Emmerdale with the Wylde bunch, the new family who buy Home Farm...
IS living in La-La Land sending Anna Friel ga ga...
I don't think there is anyone sitting on any of the benches in parliament that is in any other place than la-la land. Now it really is time for the electorate to open their eyes and look for an alternative.
But Johnny's piercing green eyes and the temptations of La-La Land soon seriously complicate matters.
AS if news that rats are breeding under garden-decking wasn't bad enough for residents of leylandii-land (just next to la-la land), a survey shows that soaring fees are stopping thousands of middle-class parents sending their kids to public school.
Careful Joss - we always knew you'd go fur, but pampered pooches are a first step to la-la land.
SO has the board of Affinity Internet relocated to la-la land?