off the beaten path
9
6.0
- idiom
- US
:
fuera de lo común
- We discovered a lovely café that was off the beaten path, away from the tourist crowds.
- get off the beaten path
- go off the beaten path
- far off the beaten path
My dad wanted to ensure that they would not go off the beaten path.
- My dad wanted to ensure that they would not go off the beaten path.
- It's crazy how easy it is to just like get off the beaten path, away from tourists, bikes off.
Examples
-
I enjoy traveling off the beaten path, yachting, fishing, reading, and gaming.
Blog text (29) -
Adly Mirza has an eye that captures moments of beauty of people and places off the beaten path.
Blog text (7) -
This whole operation, it's just this off the beaten path, quiet little town.
-
I feel like just off the beaten path kind of thing, but still really close to everything.
-
"Never can be too careful about these places off the beaten path."
Fiction book (2001) -
We wander far off the beaten path of Holy Land tourism.
Blog text (8) -
Henderson's property was off the beaten path, but it would be worth the walk.
Fiction book (1996) -
The large room was off the beaten path, away from the hubbub of the hotel lobby.
Fiction book (1993) -
A bit off the beaten path, Caversham Wildlife Park is located in Perth, Western Australia.
Blog text (15) -
Wedged between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia is so far off the beaten path of Western travelers that it's seldom visited.
Blog text (29)
Synonyms
10
6.1
Far from towns and not easy to reach
9
4.0
In a place far from towns and not often visited
8
4.8
A place that few people visit
3
6.5
In a place far from where most people go
3
6.8
A choice that few people make because it is different from what most people do
2
5.9
Away from a marked path when walking in nature
1
6.3
A path or area that no one has visited
1
7.7
A place where there are no paths or roads and very few people have been
Antonyms
How Popular
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'off' (away from) with 'beaten path' (a well-worn track), so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can plausibly infer 'away from commonly visited routes'. However, the expression relies on a metaphorical extension of a physical path to typical/popular places and the idiomatic sense of 'beaten path' may not be fully predictable without prior exposure, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Off the beaten path comes from the image of a beaten path, a trail made smooth by many people walking on it. Going 'off' that worn trail means moving into quieter, less-used ground, so the phrase means 'in a place not commonly visited'.