Etymology Journal · C
Chasing rainbows
Meaning
- This describes someone who is pursuing an unrealistic or impossible goal. It suggests the person is being overly idealistic instead of focusing on practical results.
Dismissive but gentle
Used in a sentence
- You are just chasing rainbows if you think you can retire at twenty.
- Stop chasing rainbows and get a job that pays the bills.
- I know it is a long shot but I am done chasing rainbows for a while.
The backstory
The phrase comes from the optical illusion that a rainbow has a pot of gold at its end which is impossible to reach. It gained popularity in American folk wisdom during the 19th century.
Heard in
Nationwide
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