Shocking! Looked up the origin of the phrase “pipe dream,” and the result is enough to create a “buzz” (so to speak). Not sure if I’ll say this phrase anymore since I’ve never smoked opium because it’s far too dangerous to mess with, and I’m not keen on using phrases upon which there is no personal foundation.

The definition:

pipe dream /ˈpīp ˌdrēm/

Origin – late 19th century: referring to a dream experienced when smoking an opium pipe.

In olden times opium dens were filled with people who were so immobilized by their addiction that it was all they could really do in life. Opium is so addictive that those who smoked it back then might never have gotten around to fulfilling their goals that they dreamed up while smoking opium, thus the creation of the term. Sort of a drug-induced Catch 22 scenario.

Opium pipe at the Musée Guimet, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), 19th Century

Photo Credit: Rama ~ Wikimedia Commons