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“Beyond the pale” is a common idiomatic phrase used often in everyday conversation. Here you will find the meaning of this phrase and the information behind its origin. You will also find examples of how to properly use this phrase in conversations/statements and other ways to say this phrase in literal terms.
Beyond The Pale
Beyond The Pale Meaning
The idiomatic term “beyond the pale” means out of bounds or the parameters set forth for a given area or situation.
Origin of this idiomatic expression
Most people know the definition of the word pale to mean lacking in color, without color or a light shade of color. However, pale also has another meaning that is often not heard today. Pale, as a noun, could also mean a fence or fence line that was meant to be a boundary to keep people out or in. The first use of the idiom “beyond the pale” occurred in 1657 in a poem titled The History of Polindor and Flostella by author John Harrington.
“Beyond The Pale” Examples
Examples in Statements
A statement made in a newspaper regarding a situation in the city.
- “We must look beyond the pale to see the bigger picture and find a solution to this problem.”
A statement made by the coach of a football team after their losing season.
- “We will need to look beyond the pale to uncover the problems and fix them before next season begins.”
Examples in Conversations
A conversation between two co-workers.
- Co-worker 1: I don’t know what else to do to ensure this project is completed successfully.
- Co-worker 2: Perhaps it is time we search beyond the pale to find a solution.
A conversation between two friends.
- Friend 1: We need to get creative with this school project to get it finished and get a good grade.
- Friend 2: So, what you are saying is we need to look beyond the pale.
Other examples:
- His opinions are entirely beyond the pale.
- Those remarks he made were quite beyond the pale.
- This sort of thing really is quite beyond the pale.
- Try and put beyond the pale.
- The last two were beyond the pale.
Other Ways to Say “Beyond The Pale”
There are numerous ways to say “beyond the pale” in more literal terms. Some of the other ways you could say this phrase and still convey the same meaning are we need to look above and beyond, we need to think outside the box or we need to think outside of the obvious parameters.
“Beyond The Pale” synonyms:
- Beyond the limit
- Out of bounds
- Over the limit
- Over the edge
- Outside the limits
Beyond The Pale Meaning | Image
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