away with the fairies
The idiom "away with the fairies" is often used humorously to describe someone who is not fully present or engaged with reality.
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Definition
B2General
(informal, humorous)Daydreaming or lost in thought, often unaware of one's surroundings.
Example
- She seemed away with the fairies during the meeting, not paying attention to anything.
B2General
(informal, humorous)Behaving in a whimsical or impractical manner, suggesting a detachment from reality.
Example
- He's always coming up with these wild ideas; he's really away with the fairies.
B2General
(informal, humorous)Slightly strange or eccentric in a charming way.
Example
- Her quirky personality makes people think she's away with the fairies.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "away with the fairies":
airy fairymake away withcarried awayhead in the cloudsfairy storyfairy dustwhisk awaymake awaywhisk off