1. Home
2. Idioms
3. Spain

Spain

---

---

build castles in Spain

To create dreams, hopes, or plans that are impossible, unrealistic, or have very little chance of succeeding. You need sound financial advice and a strong plan if you're going to start your own business—don't just build castles in Spain.

See also: build, castle, Spain

castles in Spain

Dreams, hopes, or plans that are impossible, unrealistic, or have very little chance of succeeding. He keeps talking about how he'll move to Los Angeles to be a famous actor, but it's just castles in Spain if you ask me. You need sound financial advice and a strong plan if you're going to start your own business—it can't be all castles in Spain.

See also: castle, Spain

build castles in the air

 and build castles in Spain

Fig. to daydream; to make plans that can never come true. Ann spends most of her time building castles in Spain. I really like to sit on the porch in the evening, just building castles in the air.

See also: air, build, castle

castles in the air

plans or hopes that have very little chance of happening She tells me she's planned out her whole career, but as far as I can see it's all just castles in the air. Before you start building castles in the air, just think how much all this is likely to cost.

See also: air, castle

castles in the air

Also, castles in Spain. Dreams about future success, as in Musing about the bestseller list, she was apt to build castles in the air. The first term dates from the late 1500s. The variant, castles in Spain (or chateaux en Espagne), was recorded in the Roman de la Rose in the 13th century and translated into English about 1365.

See also: air, castle