back of beyond

Idioms & Phrases

back of beyond

Extremely remote. For example, John's about to move to some tiny island, truly back of beyond. This term, used as a humorous exaggeration, relies on the meaning of beyond (or the beyond) as "a distant place, beyond human experience." [Early 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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