away with the fairies
1
9.9
- idiom
- UK
:
en las nubes
- When he starts talking about his wild ideas, it's clear he's away with the fairies.
Examples
-
Oh, bloody hell, he's away with the fairies.
-
She's so talented, but at times she appears away with the fairies when discussing important matters.
-
During class, he often seems away with the fairies, lost in his own thoughts.
Synonyms
32
4.5
Thinking so much about something that you do not notice what is happening around you
5
4.5
Showing you are thinking about something far away and not paying attention
1
7.2
To daydream and not pay attention to what is around you
1
5.0
Absorbed in thought and not aware of your surroundings
Appearing lost in thought with a soft, unfocused look
Antonyms
How Distracted
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'away' (not present) and 'fairies' (fantastical beings) give a clear metaphorical image of someone mentally elsewhere or in a fantasy, so the meaning is partially inferable from the parts. However, the exact idiomatic sense 'distracted or daydreaming' and the fixed phrasing are culturally specific and not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Away with the fairies comes from old folk tales where small magical beings called fairies were thought to carry someone away into another world. That's why when someone is away with the fairies today they seem 'daydreaming' or 'not paying attention'.