As if!

[1226] Get real

🎲 In your dreams
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • A command or plea for someone to be realistic, practical, or sensible.
  • Used to challenge someone's unrealistic expectations, naive beliefs, or absurd statements.

Origin

  • A straightforward imperative phrase urging someone to face reality.
  • Became common in the latter half of the 20th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Be realistic.
  • Let's be practical.
  • Come back down to earth.
  • Face reality. / Face the facts.
  • Wake up! (Used similarly to mean 'stop dreaming')
  • Seriously? (Expressing disbelief at the lack of realism)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Wake up and smell the coffee. (Dated idiom)
  • Keep it real. (Often means be authentic, but can imply be realistic)
  • Bruh. (Modern slang expressing disbelief/disappointment at something unrealistic/stupid)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Get fucking real.
  • Are you fucking kidding me?
  • Cut the bullshit.

Milder/Standard/More Polite:

  • Perhaps we should be more realistic about this.
  • Is that really feasible?
  • Let's consider the practicalities.
  • I understand your optimism, but we need to look at the facts.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal to semi-formal, but often confrontational or dismissive.
  • Can be perceived as rude or condescending, depending on tone and relationship.
  • Best used with people you know well, or when directness is required and accepted.
  • Generally inappropriate in formal settings or when speaking to superiors, unless delivered very carefully as constructive feedback (e.g., We need to get real about these budget projections).

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • The meaning is usually clear, but learners might not realize how confrontational or dismissive it can sound. They might use it thinking it's neutral advice, potentially causing offense.

Examples

  • Person A: I'm sure I'll win the lottery this week! Person B: Get real. The odds are astronomical.
  • Person A: He'll definitely change his mind and come back. Person B: Get real, Sarah. He moved across the country.
  • Person A: We can finish this entire project in one day! Person B: Get real. It will take at least three.

Dialogue

Mark: I'm going to drop out of college and become a famous rockstar overnight.

Eve: Get real, Mark. That takes years of hard work and a lot of luck. Maybe focus on finishing your degree first?

Mark: You just don't believe in my dreams!

Eve: I believe in being realistic.

Social Media Examples

  • Reply to an overly optimistic prediction: You think Team X will win the championship? Get real, they haven't won a game all season! 😂
  • Comment on unrealistic advice: Just 'manifest your dreams'? Get real. Success takes actual work.
  • Tweet: People expecting gas prices to drop back to $1/gallon anytime soon need to get real. #Economy

Response Patterns

  • Can provoke defensiveness or argument (Why not?, It could happen!).
  • Might cause the person to reconsider their stance (Yeah, you're probably right.).
  • Can be met with annoyance or silence.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • The person saying Get real might follow up with reasons why the other person is being unrealistic (Look at the facts...).
  • The person told to Get real might ask for justification (What makes you say that?) or defend their position (You don't know everything!).

Conversation Starter

  • No. It's a challenging response to someone else's statement or attitude.

Intonation

  • Often delivered with an impatient, exasperated, or condescending tone.
  • Stress usually falls on real. Get REAL.
  • Can be sharp and commanding.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across various adult age groups. Tone might vary.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all major English-speaking regions.
As if!
🎲 In your dreams