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The Daily Insight

What does the saying above board mean

Author

Emma Valentine

Published Apr 13, 2026

phrase. An arrangement or deal that is above board is legal and is being carried out honestly and openly. All I knew about were Antony’s own financial dealings, which were always above board. See full dictionary entry for board.

What does it mean to say above the board?

phrase. An arrangement or deal that is above board is legal and is being carried out honestly and openly. All I knew about were Antony’s own financial dealings, which were always above board. See full dictionary entry for board.

What does the idiom over the boards mean?

applying to everyone. affecting all in an organization, system or society. involving everyone or everything. pertaining to all parts of something.

What's the origin of the saying above board?

“Above board” first appeared in print, as far as is known, in the late 16th century, and the phrase originated in the world of gambling, in particular card games. To play “above board” was to keep your cards above the level of the playing table (as opposed to down in your lap) so as to avoid any suspicion of cheating.

What does living above board mean?

If a plan or business agreement is above board, it is honest and not trying to deceive anyone: The deal was completely open and above board.

What does play the second fiddle mean?

Definition of second fiddle : one that plays a supporting or subservient role.

Do you not add insult to injury?

: to do or say something that makes a bad situation even worse for someone People were forced to work longer hours, and to add insult to injury, the company decided not to give pay raises.

How do you use above board?

Everything may have been perfectly honourable and above board. It would have been better if they had been honest and above board about it. That was all clear, open and above board, and no amendment was necessary. The system must be seen to be fair and above board.

What is the meaning of the idiom smell a rat?

smell a rat. Suspect something is wrong, especially a betrayal of some kind. For example, When I didn’t hear any more from my prospective employer, I began to smell a rat. This expression alludes to a cat sniffing out a rat. [

What is another word for across the board?

In this page you can discover 26 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for across-the-board, like: blanket, all-encompassing, extensive, panoptic, general, year-on-year, universal, all-embracing, broad, broad in content and broad in scope.

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What does across the pond mean?

Definition of across the pond informal. : the other side of the Atlantic Ocean They moved here from across the pond.

What's the meaning of after my own heart?

Definition of after one’s own heart —used to say that someone has likes and dislikes similar to one’s own When you brought chocolates I knew you were a woman after my own heart.

Has an AXE to grind meaning?

phrase. If someone has an axe to grind, they are doing something for selfish reasons. [informal, disapproval] He seems like a decent bloke and I’ve got no axe to grind with him. [ + with]

What is the meaning of the idiom to cry wolf?

phrase. If someone cries wolf, they say that there is a problem when there is not, with the result that people do not believe them when there really is a problem.

What is the meaning of Adams ale?

Adam’s ale (also referred to as Adam’s wine, especially in Scotland; sometimes simply called Adam) is a colloquial allusion meaning water. It alludes to the idea that the biblical Adam had only water to drink. This inference gained popularity around the beginning of the 19th-century temperance movement.

What is the meaning of idiom once in a blue moon?

Once in a blue moon: This poetic phrase refers to something extremely rare in occurrence. A blue moon is the term commonly used for a second full moon that occasionally appears in a single month of our solar-based calendars.

What is the meaning of add salt to injury?

phrase. If someone or something rubs salt into the wound, they make the unpleasant situation that you are in even worse, often by reminding you of your failures or faults.

What's the meaning of all ears?

Eager to hear something, listening attentively, as in Tell me who else was invited? I’m all ears. [Colloquial; late 1700s] Also see all eyes.

What is the meaning of to keep his ears to the ground?

Today’s Phrase To keep an ear to the ground means to listen or watch out for new information or trends. For example: … Don’t worry, I’ll keep my ear to the ground and let you know what’s happening as soon as possible.

What does leave you in the lurch mean?

: to leave (someone) without help or protection when it is needed His advisers left him in the lurch when he needed them the most.

What is the idiom of black sheep?

In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe a member of a group, different from the rest, especially within a family, who does not fit in.

What does having green fingers mean?

phrase. If someone has green fingers, they are very good at gardening and their plants grow well. [British] You don’t need green fingers to fill your home with lush leaves. regional note: in AM, use a green thumb.

What does paying through the nose mean?

pay through the nose. Pay an excessive amount for something, as in We paid through the nose for that vacation. The origin of this term has been lost. Possibly it alludes to the Danish nose tax, imposed in Ireland in the 9th century, whereby delinquent taxpayers were punished by having their noses slit. [

What does it mean to talk your head off?

to talk to someone for a long time, usually loudly: She talked my head off.

Is above par meaning?

Above par is a term used to describe the price of a bond when it is trading above its face value. A bond usually trades at above par when its income distributions are higher than those of other bonds currently available in the market.

How do you say across the board?

  1. blanket,
  2. broad-brush,
  3. common,
  4. general,
  5. generic,
  6. global,
  7. overall,
  8. universal.

What does across the country mean?

1 : from one side of a country to the other. … 2 : from one side of the countryside to the other The river runs across country. 3 : by a course going directly over the countryside rather than by roads The group walked across country.

What is a word for making everything the same?

uniformity. noun. the state of being the same as each other or as everything else.

Why do we say going up to London?

Railway history, in the heyday of the railways the “Up” line always led to London, while the “down” line led away from it. Hence you always went on the “up” line to London.

What does across the Atlantic mean?

English Language Learners Definition of transatlantic : going across the Atlantic Ocean. : located on or coming from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. : involving people or countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Why do the British call the ocean the pond?

What’s the origin of the phrase ‘Across the pond’? We might guess it to be a fairly recent coinage. In fact, that naming of the ocean came about not all that long after it was first sailed across.