expressions - What is the origin of the phrase "beyond the pale ...
Dec 6, 2010 · Pale in this idiom comes from Latin pālus 'stake'; it means a fencepost, and by ordinary extension it also means the fence itselt, and the area it contains or delimits. So beyond the pale just …
Origin of 'bog-standard' - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Nov 28, 2020 · I have an answer, but can't be sure of its truthfulness though. 'bog-standard' is 'beyond-the-pale' in the sense that its outside the domain of civilised / advanced 'England', because …
idioms - What is the origin of 'pale, male and stale'? - English ...
The term 'pale, male and stale' has been applied to departees like Kenneth Clarke, Dominic Grieve etc. (It has also been seen as an opportunity to dispose of Euro-enthusiasts in favour of Euro-sceptics, …
word choice - Writing - another phrase that could replace "goes …
Nov 7, 2020 · 3 beyond the pale To be 'beyond the pale' is to be unacceptable; outside agreed standards of decency. -phrases.org Ex. "Himmler's conduct had gone beyond the pale, and he could …
Another idiom for 'jumping the shark'
Jul 1, 2023 · 6 beyond the pale To be 'beyond the pale' is to be unacceptable; outside agreed standards of decency. The pale is an almost obsolete term for a stake or a stick with a sharp point; the site The …
Idiom to describe an insensitive comment
Jul 31, 2023 · 15 Another expression that could be used is 'That joke was beyond the pale '. beyond the pale [phrase of pale] outside the bounds of acceptable behaviour "The language my father used was …
the role of "for" in "for all the tropical heat of the room itself"
Sep 8, 2015 · Cold for all the summer beyond the panes, for all the tropical heat of the room itself, a harsh thin light glared through the windows, hungrily seeking some draped lay figure, some pallid …
etymology - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
@Urbycoz: I couldn't say if it was directly involved in the appearance of this usage, but obviously to go over the top, to overdo it, to go beyond the pale, etc., all include the notion of excess, and could be …
Word or phrase for remoteness, great distance from human habitat
Jul 16, 2013 · The middle of nowhere. It's where soldiers get sent when they are deployed, hence the scornful language. Beyond the pale was covered very well in the linked ELU thread. Requoting from …
What is the origin of the phrase “it warms the cockles of my heart”?
Jan 13, 2018 · Is La Voye describing ventricle fibers compressing or internal passageways of the heart narrowing or both? A firm and convincing conclusion about the original identity of "the cockles of the …