If an idea is Pie In The Sky it is believed that, though it’s a good idea, it’s unlikely to amount to a successful conclusion, especially for the person suggesting it. The phrase’s original use has a cynical edge and its roots lie in a trade union parody often used during the years of the Great Depression in the early part of the 20th century. The hymn, entitled “The Sweet By And By”, runs like this: “You will eat, bye and bye / In that glorious land above the sky / work and pray, live on hay / You'll get pie in the sky when you die.” Since then, the phrase has spread into wider use.