There are many phrases in all languages that take references to make a point or to make an explanation simpler. Depending on many factors, those phrases take form, and often they only make sense in that particular language. These phrases are called “idioms.”
“Chasing rainbows” is an idiom we use when speaking of someone seeking an impossible goal. It means to go after something that is beyond our reach. The correct way to use it in writing is as a verb or to signify action when a person is looking for unattainable goals.
An idiom is a phrase or a word that cannot be taken literally. They can’t be understood from the meanings of each word individually. They are a type of figurative language that is helpful to add dynamism and character to writing. You can use idioms to express complex ideas more easily.
Origin Of Phrase
A rainbow is a multi-color arc that is seen after the rain. It cannot be touched, felt, or held because it is a visual effect created by sunlight on water droplets in the air. So, if somebody chases rainbows, is chasing or going after something that is not possible or very unrealistic.
According to some users, it came from old literature from the tale about finding gold if one digs at the end of a rainbow, where it touches the earth. Chasing rainbows is equal to a rewardless quest that was expressed in the 19th century; those who did so were called “rainbow chasers.”
In 1930 a film was named after this phrase.
A song called “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” with music by Harry Carroll and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy, was published in 1918. It was used in many movies.
The Origin Of The Famous Pot Of Gold
The most famous origin story of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow includes a husband and wife, farmers, from Ireland. When they pulled their last carrot out of their garden, they found, to their surprise, a leprechaun hanging from the roots. They captured him, but he promised them a wish in exchange for his freedom once again.
The couple could not make up their minds on just a single wish, so they began wishing for everything that came into mind: new tools, jewelry, a house…and the list continued for quite a while until the leprechaun interrupted them. He was shocked by their greed. The leprechaun told the husband and wife they might have all they wished for and even more if they could find his pot of gold hidden at the end of the rainbow (he was lying). The leprechaun got his freedom and left the farmers to chase rainbows forever, looking for a lie, a fictitious fortune.
The Moral Of The Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow.
With the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, many places are gearing up to party everything in the Irish style. Towns will soon be filled with red beards, green shamrocks, and the iconic wall image of a leprechaun sliding down a rainbow into the famous pot of gold. But, why is the leprechaun’s story of lie and deception the one that people perpetuate? Out of all the Irish folklore? Well, like all great stories, there is a moral to that one.
This tale reminds us that relying on magic, chance, luck, or greed can be a recipe for disaster. Instead, we should work hard and make strategic moves to build financial stability because people can be tricked into wasting their time and money searching for a fictitious pot of gold.
How People Use It
When Can We Use This Idiom?
- Someone has set unrealistic goals, and you are trying to convince them to be realistic.
- Your friend at work is waiting for a fairly impossible promotion that he is never going to receive.
- Despite a lack of skill, talent, and effort, an amateur sportsperson is trying to become a pro.
Depending on the situation, the use of this idiom is slightly accommodated. Here are a couple of easy examples of how to use it:
Example 1
That famous singer is so sexy and pretty! Every day I dream about what my life would be like if we were together. I’m too unknown to have her attention, but if I still get a chance to talk to her, it is a fact that I would just be chasing rainbows. She won’t be interested in me.
Example 2
Peter is always wasting time with “easy money” schemes. He spends most of his money on lottery tickets and empty promises of wealth from social media. I have tried everything to wake him up from that and let him know that he is chasing rainbows. Most people won’t win the lottery. That is a statistical fact.
Things To Consider
We must stay aware of chasing rainbows in our life. From an early age, we are taught to chase fantasies, but when we grow, we must separate them from reality and what we really dream about. They are ideas that, deep down, we know are not real, but we trick ourselves into believing they will solve our problems. No matter how difficult they are.
To avoid sadness, we must separate dreams from fantasies to not chase rainbows. That is not the secret of happiness, but it sure helps a lot.
Instead of chasing non-down-to-earth ideals of what happiness should be, based on childhood/adolescent influences or what we see everywhere, we can seek out how we can belong to ourselves and grow in our spiritual sense of what joy is. We can look inside ourselves and redefine our highest hopes around something less fragile than the big accomplishments we have fixed our happiness to.
We can focus on what we have right now rather than what we do not have, we can find happiness in living fully and going beyond our limiting beliefs, and we can experience fulfillment when we recognize our ability to inspire and create positive things for us and our closest ones.
Dreams are a future that is more aligned with ourselves and what we care about. In them, we achieve something that will make us see ourselves better, and we want the satisfaction that comes with them.
Our dreams focus on what we care most about, the feeling of being purposeful. They come from inside and care less about what we acquire but what we create.
Fantasies are future states that are perfect, driven by external factors. Nothing is out of place. Everything is surreal, superhero-style. Not real.
More Fun Idioms
What Is The Opposite Of “Chasing Rainbows”?
Many actions are the total opposite of what “chasing rainbows” means. Here are some:
- Achieve object
- Achieve objectives.
- Achieve one’s purpose.
- Achieve the goal.
- Accomplish a goal.
- Attain an object.
- Accomplish an aim.
- Attain object.
- Accomplish an aim.
Wrapping Up
It is very important to use as many simple examples or phrases as we can to communicate. Especially when the subject may be a little dull or complex, do not be shy when using them. It will make your speech more interesting, entertaining, and open to more conversations.
Learning different idioms will help to make a clear image of whatever we are talking about.
Suppose you are talking to someone and you are about to tell them the story of your friend that is obsessed with this idea that you think is pointless and won’t get him anywhere. In that case, it is easier to say that your friend is “cashing rainbows” on his idea than explaining in detail that he is lazy, unprepared, maybe a little immature for the job position of senior VP of the company that he is not even working at. See what I mean?
If you translate the phrase to Spanish, “perseguir arcoiris,” the meaning is kept but, in Latino cultures, is not present in the Irish leprechaun story, so the sense is lost for a bit.
Conclusion
Music, books, theater, movies, TV, street art, politics, sports, etc., contribute to adding words and phrases to every language. That ability to grow is what helps a language to stay alive. It’s the ability to be bigger and to adapt to whatever is happening in time. Adapting those words and phrases is what makes an interesting part of learning a new culture. With words that don’t make sense to outsiders, but they make perfect sense to locals. And that makes learning more interesting and rich.
Use as many idioms as you can to explain yourself. Do not go around “chasing rainbows” in life. Work hard, keep focused, and only use that phrase, do not live by it.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.