Alice in Wonderland

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   As in a surreal fairy tale where things work at odds to the way they do in the real world.

   • It is an Alice in Wonderland question. Let me answer it this way: To design a car, you must — emphasize must — have restrictions to guide you.
   • The law-making affair often has an Alice in Wonderland touch. Terms are defined by law, and if the law says black is white, then for the purpose of the law, black is white.
   • IBM's current system and network management story has an Alice in Wonderland touch to it, with incongruity as the prevailing theme. Just as it is in Wonderland, most things in IBM's management story are not what they appear to be.
2. 2

   An observer of strange, incomprehensible or disorienting situations.

   • But I do not live in a riding that represents the Alice in Wonderlands of the world, Mr. Speaker.
   • I'm giddy. I haven't even stopped to notice my surroundings. I'm not much of an Alice in Wonderland.
3. 3

   A strange, fantasy-like creation or situation that follows its own bizarre logic.

   • I think it is an Alice in Wonderland to say we are going to approve another drug, yet the whole fundamental thing is we still have exactly the same mortality and nobody has anything that impacts on it.
   • Sgt. Pepper seemed to be nothing less than an Alice in Wonderland for the brave new psychedelic world.
   • Some context: The Aviary is like the Alice in Wonderland of cocktail bars, a place where drinks are served in porthole vessels or in sphere/foam/gelee form (there’s an outpost in New York City, but the original is in Chicago).

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