ENGLISH
REFERENCE

yellow brick road

idiom
Meaning

A proverbial path to a Promised Land of one's hopes and dreams.


Origin

disputed origin

From the classic film The Wizard of Oz and the book series on which it was based. Originally the literal road to the Emerald City, which was paved with yellow bricks possibly to invoke the notion of gold.

Examples
SIMPLE

She believes this new job is her yellow brick road to success.

CONTEXTUAL

Many young artists move to the city, hoping it will be their yellow brick road to fame and fortune.

COMPLEX

He viewed the prestigious scholarship as his yellow brick road, a clear path toward the academic career he had envisioned since childhood.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bang one's head against a brick wall

    To waste effort on a futile project.

  2. 02

    brick in

    To enclose with bricks.

  3. 03

    brick in one's hat

    Drunkenness.

  4. 04

    built like a brick outhouse

    Synonym of built like a brick shithouse.

  5. 05

    built like a brick shipyard

    Synonym of built like a brick shithouse.

  6. 06

    built like a brick shithouse

    Of a man, having a muscular body, particularly with well-developed muscles of the chest, arms and abdominals.

  7. 07

    bump in the road

    A setback or obstacle, especially one which is relatively minor.

  8. 08

    down the road, not across the street

    Of the technique for committing suicide, along the radial artery rather than across the wrist from side to side.

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