across the pond
informal noun phrase

- on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean

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ORIGIN

Although no one is 100% sure which side of the pond the phrase ACROSS THE POND originated from, we assume it came from the British side, for no other reason than this expression is a good example of British understatement.

The Oxford Dictionary says an understatement is the "presentation of something as being smaller or less good or important than it really is." So to call the Atlantic Ocean a pond, which is around 3,000 miles wide between New York and Ireland, is a witty understatement. The British enjoy expressing things this way.

When British researchers Francis Crick and James Watson discovered DNA in the 1950s for instance, they were quoted as saying, "This structure has novel features which are of considerable biological interest."

British understatement is more prevalent on a daily basis however. In a famous chart that has made its way around the Internet, several common British statements are listed along with what the British might really mean, such as:

- That's very interesting (that's clearly nonsense)

- I would suggest... (do it or be prepared to justify yourself)

- You must come for dinner (it's not an invitation, I'm just being polite).

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USAGE

The phrase usually implies the North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe, and is most often used to describe travel between the United Kingdom and the United States or Canada

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SYNONYMS

the other side of the Atlantic, across the Great Water

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Practice OWAD today

Say someting like:

"I have relatives who live ACROSS THE POND."