Something which is "Beyond the Pale" is beyond the limit of reasonableness. Turns out, this turn of phrase is literally synonymous with "Going off the reservation."
The Pale was the limit of English land in Medieval Ireland. The lands were surrounded by pales, pickets, with a fence strung across them. To go beyond those pickets was to enter the wild Irish lands.
1 comment:
Um, I'm pretty sure "off the reservation" is a turn of phrase used when someone disobeys orders and does something he/she is not supposed to.
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