IdiomNatureIrish

Is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn

Meaning: The grass is always greener elsewhere.

Literally: The hills far away are green

Example: “Ceapann sé go bhfuil saol níos fearr i Meiriceá, ach is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn.” — He thinks life is better in America, but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

English equivalent: The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

Origin: "Far-off hills are green": distant hills always look greener than the ones nearby. The Irish proverb is the counterpart of English "the grass is always greener on the other side." No first use is documented.

Equivalents in other languages

See all 3 languages side by side →

More Irish idioms

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Bord Actually means 'table'. Ett bord för två = a table for two.
  • Rar Actually means 'sweet' or 'kind'. En rar person is a lovely person. (In Norwegian, rar me…
  • Grind Actually means 'gate' — the garden or field kind. To grind is mala.

Browse all false friends →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →