ENGLISH
REFERENCE

away with the fairies

idiom
Meaning

Not all there; slightly crazy.


Origin

disputed origin

Based around the common belief in Celtic and British Isles folklore that fairies were prone to either kidnapping people or robbing them of their wits.

Examples
SIMPLE

She's away with the fairies today.

CONTEXTUAL

He keeps talking to himself — I think he's a bit away with the fairies.

COMPLEX

Lost in his own elaborate fantasies, the old poet wandered through the garden, clearly away with the fairies and barely aware of the world around him.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    away game

    An athletic contest played away from the team's home field.

  2. 02

    bang away

    to strike or hit repeatedly

  3. 03

    bear away the bell

    To be superior in something.

  4. 04

    beaver away

    To work hard at a task.

  5. 05

    blaze away

    To fire (firearms) repeatedly.

  6. 06

    blow away

    To kill (someone) by shooting them with a firearm.

  7. 07

    blow the cobwebs away

    To make changes for space for new fresh ideas

  8. 08

    bottle away

    To store up or stock up.

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