pie in the sky

Meaning

Noun

• A fanciful notion; an unrealistic or ludicrous concept; the illusory promise of a desired outcome that is unlikely to happen.

Related

Similar words

• castle in the air
• eggs in moonshine
• jam tomorrow
• pipe dream
• the cake is a lie

Origin

• The phrase is originally from the song “The Preacher and the Slave” (1911) by Swedish-American labor activist and songwriter Joe Hill (1879–1915), which he wrote as a parody of the Salvation Army hymn “In the Sweet By-and-By” (published 1868). The song criticizes the Salvation Army for focusing on people’s salvation rather than on their material needs:
• : You will eat, bye and bye,
• : In that glorious land above the sky;
• : Work and pray, live on hay,
• : You’ll get pie in the sky when you die.