WHERE IS CLOUD CUCKOO LAND?

The Oxford Dictionary describes cloud cuckoo land as “a state of absurdly over-optimistic fantasy.”

 Examples of use:

 “Councillors criticise Government for ‘cloud-cuckoo-land’ housing targets”

 “John Allan, president of the Confederation of British Industry and chairman of supermarket group Tesco, told BBC Radio that those thinking they could renegotiate EU trade relations from scratch were living in ‘cloud cuckoo land.’”

 “You might think I’m in cloud cuckoo land but we’re more than capable of picking up points against any of the teams we’ve got left to play this season.”


 Why cloud cuckoo land?

 The phrase is a translation of the Greek Nephelokokkugia, the name of a city built by the birds, between Earth and Heaven, in Aristophanes’ comedy The Birds. Its use in English dates from the late 19th century. [1]

 You can download a free Kindle copy of “The Birds” (English translation) here.


 [1] “cloud” In The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press, 2005. 

 Photo credit: steve (Creative Commons)