Have your head in the clouds means to daydream, think about your own things and not notice practical matters. The image is clear: your head is up in the sky, not down on earth. People say it both about absent-mindedness in the moment and about someone who makes unrealistic plans. The tone is slightly critical.
When would you say have your head in the clouds?
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have + my/your/his/her + head in the clouds; walk around with your head in the clouds
- Leo missed his stop again because he had his head in the clouds all the way home.
- My boss has great ideas, but she sometimes has her head in the clouds when it comes to money.
- Stop walking around with your head in the clouds and start planning for your exams.
What changed
First versionDuring the lecture Max was flying in the clouds again.
RevisionDuring the lecture Max had his head in the clouds again.
The picture of drifting among the clouds suggests a verb of movement: flying in the clouds. But in the English idiom nobody flies; the head is simply in the clouds: have your head in the clouds. So was flying was replaced with had his head, and the rest of the sentence stayed the same.
Clouds appear in another idiom with a completely different mood. On cloud nine means extremely happy: She was on cloud nine after the job offer. Someone with their head in the clouds is distracted and out of touch with reality, while someone on cloud nine is simply glowing with happiness.
Your turn
Sam keeps forgetting his keys and missing his stop because he's always daydreaming about moving to Bali. He ___.
Show the answer
has his head in the clouds — Sam forgets his keys and misses his stop because he's always dreaming about moving to Bali. He's distracted and lost in daydreams: has his head in the clouds. Is on cloud nine means extremely happy, but this is about dreaming and absent-mindedness, not joy.
Describe someone who often has their head in the clouds. Say what they forget or don't notice.
My flatmate always has her head in the clouds and forgets to pay the electricity bill every month.
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