Back of beyond means: A very remote place.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. As a place or proper-name reference it is purely descriptive. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
back of beyond
(chiefly, British, Irish, Canadian, and, Australian, informal, ;, usually with in, sometimes at or to) A very remote place.
ˈbæk ˈʌv bɪˈɑndDocumented since 1810sSilenthistorical32 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1816 · no dated citations yet19th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(chiefly, British, Irish, Canadian, and, Australian, informal, ;, usually with in, sometimes at or to) A very remote place.
It was a regular outside bush township, and though the distance oughtn't to have much to say to people's honesty, you'll mostly find that these far-out back-of-beyond places have got men and women to match 'em.
Origin: First attested in the Scottish novelist Walter Scott’s The Antiquary (1816; see quotation). It is quite possible that Scott anglicised a rural expression rather than coined it himself—something he did numerous times with other phrases. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Back of beyond means: A very remote place.. It is mainly Irish English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. As a place or proper-name reference it is purely descriptive. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
back of beyond means: A very remote place.. Register: informal, Irish English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: intensifier
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang
Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
See all Australian & NZ slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "back of beyond" (B)
backgrounderbackhoebackhousebacking bandback laneback o' Bourkeback of the netback one outback outbackpackerbackpack fundingbackpack rap
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