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Sometimes in a written text I express a ton of things I would desire for something to have even though I know it is absolutely impossible to fulfill those desires.

For example in Spanish we can use: "La lista de los reyes magos" which means something along the lines of: "Santa's letter". It has a small component of irony in it.

The purpose in the context I'm using the sentence is: "I know that I'm asking for too much. I'm adding a lot of requirements for you to have more context in the direction I want to take. I know this is unfeasible.". That is why I want to give that small component of expressing that the result is impossible to reach.

Rafa de Castro
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  • related: English equivalent to the Bengali Idiom “ bamon hoye chand dhorar shokh” which means wish of a lowly person to become equal to aristocratic people – Mari-Lou A Jul 07 '16 at 10:26
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    I wanted to give a bit of importance to the part that it is a list. For example in Spanish we would say: "la carta a los reyes magos" which would be somewhat "writing a letter to Santa". I was looking for something similar. – Rafa de Castro Jul 08 '16 at 06:35
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    Then edit your question, add the comment you left above, and then specifically ask for an idiom that means "a list of desires" or words similar. – Mari-Lou A Jul 08 '16 at 08:38
  • Questions such as yours need to have more context and detail, there is nothing wrong asking if there is an English equivalent to an expression or idiom that is from another country. For example, see this question. Lots of detail and information and most of the answers are relevant as a result. – Mari-Lou A Jul 08 '16 at 08:44
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    I added more context to the question. Sorry for not doing this before. I hope that now it is better. – Rafa de Castro Jul 10 '16 at 18:24
  • Unfortunately, your question has been closed as a duplicate of an older post. No new answers can be posted until your question has been reopened. Do any of the posted answers on your question or in the older question fit? Is there an answer, which satisfies your request? If there isn't, you should explain "why" the answers posted in both questions are inadequate, or not satisfying. – Mari-Lou A Jul 10 '16 at 18:31
  • see this page http://english.stackexchange.com/help/closed-questions and this page for further info http://english.stackexchange.com/help/reopen-questions – Mari-Lou A Jul 10 '16 at 18:35
  • Isn't "La lista de los reyes magos" about the Three Wise Men, or the Magi? Do Spanish children write letters to them on the Epiphany? I didn't know that. (+1 for that info) – Mari-Lou A Jul 10 '16 at 19:29
  • I voted to reopen. Sounds like the OP is looking for a word for the list of such things, and not just a name for such a thing. My candidate answer would be wishlist. – Drew Jul 10 '16 at 19:50
  • @Mari-LouA yes, in January 6th the Three Wise Men bring presents to spanish children instead of Santa. The kids previously send a letter to them asking for the present they like. It is a local tradition that is a bit difficult to translate, that is why I chose to translate it for Santa. – Rafa de Castro Jul 10 '16 at 20:14
  • Why not include that comment in your request? I think it clarifies your question even more. However, are the wishes "impossible" to obtain? Are they based on fantasy, or can they be achievable? – Mari-Lou A Jul 10 '16 at 20:22
  • I think you are looking for the word fulfilled instead of completed in your question title. Check the meaning in a Spanish bilingual dictionary – Mari-Lou A Jul 10 '16 at 20:30

4 Answers4

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That sounds like a wish list.

a list of things you want, often things that you know you cannot have: A new car would be top of my wish list. — cambridge.org

or

: a list of desired but often realistically unobtainable items M-W

k1eran
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  • Wish list items are often quite achievable though - eg books you'd like for your birthday. The OP's asking about things you think you'll never actually get. – Max Williams Jul 07 '16 at 12:15
  • I think it depends @max-williams. Both disctionary definitions above specifically note that items are "often realistically unobtainable" – k1eran Jul 07 '16 at 13:15
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    This is the right answer, IMO. @MaxWilliams: That some, or even most, items of some, or even most, wish lists might "often" be "quite achievable" is not relevant, I think. The question is not clear that the list must contain only unrealizable wishes, let alone only wishes that are always unrealizable. – Drew Jul 10 '16 at 19:55
  • @Drew - the first sentence "Sometimes in a written text I express a ton of things I would desire for something to have even though I know it is absolutely impossible to fulfill those desires." certainly suggests that's exactly what is asked for. The later parts of the question have been heavily edited since I left my comment and I think that as a result there's less emphasis on the "unrealizable" component. That's a really annoying behaviour on the part of the question asker. – Max Williams Jul 11 '16 at 11:49
  • I agree that "wish list" does fit the modified question (if one ignores the first part). – Max Williams Jul 11 '16 at 11:50
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I don't know of such an idiom, but it's certainly "wishful thinking".

You could call your list a Pipe dream, an unrealistic hope or fantasy. It is likely an allusion to the dreams experienced by smokers of opium.

When people express wishes for things highly unlikely to happen, one proverb I've heard (and used) is

"If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride."

It's a very old proverb meaning that if wishing could make things happen, everyone, even the most destitute people, would have everything they wanted.

I know of nothing more specific to impossible dreams put to paper than these.

anongoodnurse
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"exercise in futility" may fit.

That is what they used to describe a complex database job I was assigned as busy work one time. And no, didn't finish it.

Dan Shaffer
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1

It doesn't specifically refer to a list, but "pie in the sky" seems to have the right sense:

something good that is unlikely to happen: I wanted to be a major league baseball player, but I knew it was probably pie in the sky. -Cambridge Dictionary

No More Secrets
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