airy-fairy

[air-ee-fair-ee]

adjective

1. Informal.,  delicate or lovely.

   an airy-fairy actress;

   an airy-fairy nightgown.

2. Informal.,  not based on reality or concerned with mundane affairs; unrealistic.

   He'd better get rid of those airy-fairy ideas about spending a fortune that isn't even his.

3. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.,  effeminate.

airy-fairy

/ ˈɛərɪˈfɛərɪ /

adjective

1. informal,  fanciful and unrealistic

   an airy-fairy scheme

2. delicate to the point of being insubstantial; light

Word History and Origins

Origin of airy-fairy¹

First recorded in 1830–40, perhaps originally in the phrase “airy, fairy Lilian” in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem “Lilian” (1830)

Word History and Origins

Origin of airy-fairy¹

C19: from Tennyson's poem Lillian (1830), where the central figure is described as "Airy, fairy Lillian"