# away with the fairies

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/away-with-the-fairies
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Not all there; slightly crazy.

## Examples

- She's away with the fairies today.
- You are away with the fairies if you believe that story.
- He keeps talking to himself — I think he's a bit away with the fairies.
- My neighbor is away with the fairies if she thinks her cat can actually predict the winning lottery numbers.
- The boss was away with the fairies during the meeting, staring out the window and ignoring every question we asked him.
- 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.

## Origin

The phrase originates from folklore of the British Isles, rooted in the traditional belief that fairies were prone to either kidnapping humans or robbing them of their wits. Such a disappearance, whether physical or mental, was attributed to the interference of these entities, leaving the victim absent from their expected station. The idiom preserves the consequence of this supernatural theft without the inconvenience of the abduction itself.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.