Meaning of “give a pony”

I came across this phrase while reading an article by Paul Krugman on the New York Times website. Here's the quotation (emphasis added):

… non-GIPSI [the group of Eurozone nations – Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ireland – that are grappling with the debt crisis, my note] European leaders should realize that what the GIPSIs really need is a general European reflation. So let's hope that they get this, and also give each of us a pony.

Now, I understand that this is a sort of witty remark, but I cannot figure out what he's referring to. I know that there's a horse breed named “Gypsy”, but I suspect there may be another reference—an idiomatic one, perhaps—I don't know of.

Solution 1:

For me, the phrase "Give each of us a pony" means literally "give each of us a gift of a horse."

Ponies, as far as I know, are regarded as a status symbol among certain circles. (Imagine a young girl in a well-to-do family requesting her father this for a birthday present).

So, for me, saying "give each of us a pony" is equivalent to "give each of us a Jaguar/ yacht/ swimming pool etc.," which was meant with humor.

Solution 2:

"I want a pony" is a slang phrase, usually used in reply to someone's request for something impossible.

From the Urban Dictionary:

"We want a copy protection solution that's 100% unbreakable."

"Yes, and I want a pony."

In this context, it reads to me that while the author would very much like a solution to the Eurozone crisis, he doesn't believe it's actually possible. I don't think it's anything to do with a pony meaning £25.

Here are two more examples:

Health care sectors get funding restraint… and a pony.

...where everyone can get all the health care they want for almost no money. And a pony.

After a little more research, it turns out that the origin of the meme may have come from Calvin and Hobbes (search for "and a pony" in this page).

"Then my hundred friends and I would go do something fun, and leave Calvin all alone! Ha! …and as long as I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony." - Susie

I'm probably familiar with it because it's been popularised in IT by Jeff Atwood, a well-known author, blogger and speaker.

Solution 3:

It's common in America to talk about a child wanting a pony as a request or demand for an extravagant gift. Little girls especially traditionally see a pony as the ultimate toy. In my own family, for example, since my daughter was old enough to understand money, any time we had an unexpected expense she would jokingly say, "That money could have gone to my pony fund", or when I got a pay raise she would say, "That can go to the pony fund." Of course few families really buy a pony for their child: it's too expensive and impractical. Where would the average family keep a pony in an urban apartment?

So Krugman is concluding his article by saying what he hopes European leaders will do to solve the fiscal crisis. If he stopped there, the sentence would be understood to mean that he thinks that this is a reasonable expectation, that he thinks it likely that they will, in fact, do this. But by tacking on "and also give each of us a pony", he's saying that, like a parent whose child asks for a pony for her birthday, they will likely view his suggestion as a totally unrealistic, fantasy request.

Solution 4:

Maybe what Krugram really wants is a squirrel.

I see it as Krugman making a metaphor. Krugman is comparing GIPSI to a spoiled child (like Veruca Salt of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" fame), and non-GIPSI to Mr. Salt. Veruca is making an unreasonable demand and Mr. Salt wants to accommodate to keep Veruca happy, but it is not clear Mr. Salt can.

We can take Krugman as Veruca's brother. If Veruca gets a pony, he wants one too.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003692/quotes

Veruca Salt: Daddy, I want a squirrel. Get me one of those squirrels, I want one!

Mr. Salt: Veruca dear, you have many marvelous pets.

Veruca Salt: All I've got at home is one pony and two dogs and four cats and six bunny rabbits and two parakeets and three canaries and a green parrot and a turtle, and a silly old hamster! I WANT a SQUIRREL!

Mr. Salt: All right, pet. Daddy'll get you a squirrel just as soon as he possibly can.

Veruca Salt: But I don't want any old squirrel! I want a trained squirrel!

Mr. Salt: [wearily] Very well. Mr. Wonka? How much do you want for one of these squirrels? Name your price.

Willy Wonka: Oh they're not for sale. She can't have one.

Veruca Salt: Daddy!

Willy Wonka: [imitating Mr. Salt] I'm sorry, darling. Mr. Wonka's being unreasonable.

Veruca Salt: Daddy, I want another pony.

Solution 5:

The idea is that as long as you're wishing for the impossible, you might as well wish for other desirable things (such as a pony) too. So Krugman is sarcastically pointing out that "a general European reflation" is wishful thinking.

This use of "... and a pony" to point sarcastically to wishful economic and political thinking comes from Belle Waring's 2004 blog post "If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride -- A Pony!"

I'd like to note, though, that [Josh] Chafetz is selling himself short. You see, wishes are totally free. It's like when you can't decide whether to daydream about being a famous Hollywood star or having amazing magical powers. Why not -- be a famous Hollywood star with amazing magical powers! Along these lines, John [Holbo] has developed an infallible way to improve any public policy wishes. You just wish for the thing, plus, wish that everyone would have their own pony! So, in Chafetz' case, he should not only wish that Bush would say a lot of good things about democracy-building and fighting terrorism in a speech written for him by a smart person, he should also wish that Bush should actually mean the things he says and enact policies which reflect this, and he should wish that everyone gets a pony. See?

John Holbo got the pony idea from a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon by Bill Watterson, first published in 1987 and described here:

Susie wipes a tear from her eye. She wonders why Calvin is so mean. She wishes she had a hundred friends, then she wouldn't care what Calvin said. She goes on to say she and her hundred friends would go do something fun and leave Calvin all alone. But then, Susie sits down. She says that as long as she's dreaming, she also wants a pony.