Middle of Nowhere, the

Also: Out in the middle of nowhere

Meaning of Idiom ‘The Middle of Nowhere’

The middle of nowhere is a place that is very remote and isolated and that is not near where many people live.  1Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010. ,2McCarthy, Michael. Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms. Cambridge University Press, 2002,3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.


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Usage

The idiom is most often used by city dwellers in regards to almost any rural location and it is often exaggerated past its basic meaning to include places that really are not very remote at all, such as a small town full of people, but which seems far away from any big city.

Examples Of Use

“My car broke down in the middle of nowhere once. I had to wait 12 hours for a tow truck. There as nowhere to go!”

“Whatever happened to Daniel? I haven’t seen him for years,” said Nadine. “He moved to some small town in the middle of nowhere,” said Chris.

“Why would they build a huge monument in the middle of nowhere,” said Roland, gazing upon the strange building perched on top of the remote mountain.

“Here we are out in the middle of nowhere, and you’re still texting?” said mom to Helen. “Camping is supposed to be about getting away from technology.”

“What are you doing for vacation,” asked Joan. “We are going to this great little bed and breakfast out in the middle of nowhere. It’s on a beautiful lake and surrounded by nature.”

Origin

Used since at least the late 1800s.

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Sources   [ + ]

1. ↲ Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010. 
2. ↲ McCarthy, Michael. Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms. Cambridge University Press, 2002
3. ↲ Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.