Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty

An unremarkable or ineffectual person who has fantasies or delusions of grandeur. A reference to the titular character in James Thurber's short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. He has been described as the Walter Mitty of the political world, a complete nobody who has somehow contrived a career out of standing on a soapbox and protesting against anything the mainstream politicians do. My father worked for the same company for over 50 years and never even left his home state, but he was always something of a Walter Mitty, dreaming about a life of adventure.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Walter Mitty

A person, generally quite ordinary or ineffectual, who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs. For example, He's a Walter Mitty about riding in a rodeo but is actually afraid of horses. This term comes from James Thurber's short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1939), describing just such a character.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • empty suit
  • delusion
  • delusions of grandeur
  • Kojak
  • Kojaks
  • milktoast
  • milquetoast
  • prince
  • Hamlet without the prince
  • depend on the kindness of strangers
References in periodicals archive
Alistair is a bit of a Walter Mitty - that is the best way to put it."
Sending him to prison for the travel agent frauds, Judge Geraint Walters described Griffiths as "something of a Walter Mitty character" who lived a persona far removed from the reality of his real life.
A source said: "Halligen was a real Walter Mitty character.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Channel 4, 11.05pm - 1.10am) Adventure, starring Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig.
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is one of James Thurber's best-known stories.
At a sentencing hearing yesterday, District Judge Stephen Earl told Ahmed his was like fictional character Walter Mitty.
At a sentencing hearing on Thursday, District Judge Stephen Earl told Ahmed his was like fictional character Walter Mitty, who was part of James Thurber's short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
I sympathize, in a way, with the living Walter Mitty role--the offender really meant no harm or insult.
STEPHEN HALL, Hemlington THE Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a movie about a day-dreamer who escapes into a world of untruths and personal fantasies.
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY Sky Movies Drama 8PM Not given the credit it deserved on its cinema release, here's a chance to re-appraise Ben Stiller's endearing turn as a fantasising loner who sets off on an epic quest to track down a missing photo for Time magazine.
7 THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (2013) STILLER stars as eternal daydreamer Walter Mitty who finds himself embarking on a real-life adventure when jobs come under threat.
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (PG) WALTER (Ben Stiller) processes the negatives for Life magazine, taking care with each image, especially the work of globe-trotting photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn).
I HAVE five DVD copies of Stiller's version of The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty to give away.
Steven Conrad of 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' has been assigned to write the script.
''The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,'' starring and directed by Stiller, is adapted from James Thurber's classic short story that first appeared in The New Yorker in 1939.