n.
The irrational belief that, despite all evidence to the contrary, things will turn out for the best. Also: hopeium, hope-ium. [Hope + opium.]
Example Citations:You'd better not shout, pout or cry because you know who might be coming to town. At least that seems to be the growing feeling among commentators. Realistic? Or is it a case of, as CNBC beautifully put it on Wednesday, markets being on a new drug called hopium?
—Greg Peel, " Next Week at a Glance: http://www.fnarena.com/index2.cfm?type=dsp_newsitem&n=FBE120A7-C467-F71C-318DB8C3C0BE6BCE," FNArena, December 2, 2011
Another reason for yesterday's equity index performance was reported to be, as one analyst coined the term, 'hope-ium' that Euro governments discussing coordinated, tougher and enforceable fiscal policies would eventually resolve that trading bloc's sovereign debt woes.
—C Neul, " Black Friday & Yesterday's Equity Market Pop: http://pra-blog.blogspot.com/2011/11/black-friday-yesterdays-equity-market.html," The Reasoned Sceptic, November 29, 2011
Earliest Citation:One solution that comes to everyone's mind...is Voice-to-text software. However interesting and Star Wars-like it might seem such "hopium" is years away (if at all) from meeting even the minimum accuracy requirements stated above.
—Dr.Robert H. Tippetts and Eric Tippetts, " Sales Call Reporting and Explanatory Knowledge: http://www.voice2insight.com/pressdocuments/pub_manaarticle1.pdf" (PDF), Voice2Insight Services, July 5, 2001
Notes:See also this cite from way back when:
It is possible that Sir Wilfred Lawson may head a great Ante-opiate Movement, the object of which will be to get all people afflicted with toothache to pledge themselves to abstain from laudanum. It will, of course, be marshalled under the title of The Band of Hope-ium!
—Arthur A'Beckett (ed.), " The Week: http://books.google.com/books?id=1a0RAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA208&dq=%22hope-ium%22," The Tomahawk, May 28, 1870
Related Words:boomsayer
declinism
defensive pessimism
dread merchant
grey-sky thinking
panic merchants
skeptimistic
virtuous cycle
Categories:Insults
Psychology