away with the fairies
Lost in thought
Away with the fairies describes someone who is distracted, dreamy, or not paying attention to what's happening around them—as if their mind has wandered off to some fanciful realm.
The phrase is chiefly British and Irish: I asked him twice but he was away with the fairies.
It can also suggest someone is out of touch with reality or slightly mad.
Lacking mental focus
- forgetfulFailing to retain information
- obliviousLacking any awareness
- inattentiveNot paying attention
- unfocusedWithout clear direction
spacey · vague · distracted · preoccupied · heedless · unmindful · unaware · ditzy
Idle mental wandering
- reverieAbstracted, pleasant daydream
- woolgatheringAbsent-minded indulgence in fantasy
- dreamlandSleep state with visions
- spaced-outMentally detached, unfocused
head-in-clouds · faraway · wistful · abstracted · moony · stargazing · musing · trancelike
Eerily whimsical, sprite-like
- elfinSmall and sprite-like
- pixieishResembling a mischievous fairy
- impishPlayfully mischievous in manner
- enchantedUnder magical influence
magical · capricious · flighty · mercurial · playful · mischievous · lighthearted · fanciful
Lacking basis in reality
- impracticalNot suited for use
- fancifulImaginatively unrealistic
- illusoryFalsely appearing to exist
- quixoticImpractically pursuing lofty goals
chimerical · fantastical · naive · ungrounded · irrational · crackpot · dotty · batty
scatterbrained
Lacking mental focus
- forgetfulFailing to retain information
- obliviousLacking any awareness
- inattentiveNot paying attention
unfocused · spacey · vague · distracted · preoccupied · heedless · unmindful · unaware · ditzy · befuddled
daydreaming
Idle mental wandering
- reverieAbstracted, pleasant daydream
- woolgatheringAbsent-minded indulgence in fantasy
- dreamlandSleep state with visions
spaced-out · head-in-clouds · faraway · wistful · abstracted · moony · stargazing · musing · trancelike · drifting
fey
Eerily whimsical, sprite-like
- elfinSmall and sprite-like
- pixieishResembling a mischievous fairy
- impishPlayfully mischievous in manner
enchanted · magical · capricious · flighty · mercurial · playful · mischievous · lighthearted · fanciful · airy-fairy
unrealistic
Lacking basis in reality
- impracticalNot suited for use
- fancifulImaginatively unrealistic
- illusoryFalsely appearing to exist
quixotic · chimerical · fantastical · naive · ungrounded · irrational · crackpot · dotty · batty · loopy
away with the fairiesalert
Warning or watchfulness
on the ball · with it · all there · present · attentive
away with the fairiesgrounded
Stable and realistic
practical · realistic · pragmatic · level-headed · feet on the ground
away with the fairieslucid
Mentally sharp and comprehensible
clear-headed · sharp-witted · compos mentis · sharp · in one's right mind