English
Pronunciation
Noun
the middle of nowhere ( singular only )
( idiomatic ) A very remote place; a nondescript place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.
1889 Nov. 2, "The Proof " (editorial), The Daily Record (Kansas, USA), p. 2 (retrieved 12 April 2013) :
We set out to demonstrate to the people of the county that a corrupt ring managed the Republican party in this county. . . . We want that corrupt ring knocked into the middle of Nowhere .
1920 , Margaret Pedler , The Hermit of Far End , ch. 29:
"Only we don't happen to be in the middle of nowhere ! We're just about a couple of miles from a market town where abides a nice little inn whence petrol can be obtained."
1977 Oct. 17, "Now, the Poor Man's Jumbo Jet ," Time :
South Florida's Everglades Jetport is a fancy name for a concrete runway in the middle of nowhere .
2012 May 9, Bettina Wassener, "A Modern Magellan Demonstrates Power of the Sun ," New York Times (retrieved 12 April 2013) :
[A]fter weeks of journeying across the monotonous open sea. . . . “You see nothing for 30 days — you’re in the middle of nowhere , you feel like you are in outer space,” said Mr. Domjan.
Usage notes
Almost always preceded by the .
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
remote place
Belarusian: у чорта на рагах, у віру на калу ( u čórta na rahax, u viru na kalu )
Catalan: quinta forca f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 偏僻 的 地方 ( piānpì de dìfang ) , 荒郊野外 ( huāngjiāoyěwài ) , 前不著村後不著店 / 前不著村后不著店 ( qián bù zháo cūn, hòu bù zháo diàn ) , 前不着村后不着店 ( qián bù zháo cūn hòu bù zháo diàn )
Czech: prdel světa f ( vulgar ) , kde lišky dávají dobrou noc
Dutch: niemandsland (nl) n , rimboe (nl) m , Verweggistan (nl) n
Estonian: Kapa-Kohila , karuperse , pärapõrgu
Finnish: Perähikiä , keskellä ei-mitään , hornantuutti
French: au milieu de nulle part (fr)
German: irgendwo im Nirgendwo , Arsch der Welt (de) , Pampa (de) f , wo sich Fuchs und Hase gute Nacht sagen
Greek: στη μέση του πουθενά ( sti mési tou pouthená ) , στου διαβόλου τη μάνα ( stou diavólou ti mána )
Hungarian: a semmi közepe , a semmi közepén , az isten háta mögött (hu) , eldugott hely , ahol a madár se jár
Irish: ar an iargúil
Maltese: sorm id-dinja
Maori: tua o Tāwauwau
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Navajo: tʼáá dzígaidi
Persian: هیچجا (fa) ( hič-jâ ) , هیچکجا ( hič-kojâ ) , تورقوزآباد ( turquzâbâd ) ( colloquial )
Polish: zadupie (pl) n , wygwizdów m , dziura (pl) f ; tam, gdzie diabeł mówi dobranoc (pl)
Portuguese: Lugar Nenhum ; meio do nada ; onde Judas perdeu as botas (pt) ; cu do mundo (pt) ( vulgar ) ; cu de Judas ( vulgar ) , puta que pariu (pt) ( vulgar )
Romanian: la naiba-n praznic ( vulgar ) , la dracu-n praznic ( vulgar ) , la mama naibii ( vulgar ) , la mama huciului ( colloquial ) , în dosul Lunii ( colloquial ) , la fundul hărții ( colloquial ) , la Cuca Măcăii ( colloquial ) , la Pocreaca ( colloquial ) , unde a dus mutul iapa ( colloquial ) , unde a dus surdul roata și mutul iapa ( colloquial ) , unde și-a pierdut dracul potcoavele ( vulgar ) , unde și-a înțărcat dracul copiii ( vulgar ) , unde a fost înțărcat dracul ( vulgar )
Russian: у чёрта на рога́х ( u čórta na rogáx ) , у чёрта на кули́чках (ru) ( u čórta na kulíčkax ) , медве́жий у́гол (ru) m ( medvéžij úgol ) , глушь (ru) ( glušʹ ) ; в захолу́стье (ru) ( v zaxolústʹje )
Serbo-Croatian: усред ничега ( usred ničega ) , usred ničega (ničega = genitive of ništa (sh) )
Slovene: kraj, kjer ti lisica lahko noč vošči
Spanish: en medio de la nada m , el quinto pino m , andurriales , a tomar por culo (es) ( vulgar ) , a tomar por saco ; donde Cristo dio las tres voces (es)
Swedish: världens ände
Vietnamese: khỉ ho cò gáy (vi)
Welsh: ym mhen draw’r byd
Yiddish: העק m or f ( hek )