# Pipe Dreams

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-dreams/13775>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 14, 2000, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-dreams/13775 "2000-02-14T22:26:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Inkz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@Inkz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inkz)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-dreams/13775/1 "2000-02-14T22:26:00Z")

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I’ll be the first to admit that a good many of my dreams involve installing pipe (a short length at least, inexpertly laid…) I have no GOOD ideas as to where the “Pipe” in the term “Pipe dream” could have come from.

Ideas?

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pipe-dreams/13775/2 "2000-02-14T22:35:00Z")

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The term comes from smoking opium. In the old opium dens, the preferred method of ingestion was via an opium pipe. The mutterings, ramblings and outright hallucinations of the users soon were called “pipe dreams.” Simple enough.