back forty
The far, unused, or out-of-the-way part of a place.
Also called back 40.
Updated September 21, 2026
back forty pronunciation
/BACK FOR-tee/
Meaning
Originally a forty-acre parcel at the back of a farm. Now it often means any remote stretch of land, a forgotten storage corner, or the part of a property you rarely walk. Said with distance in mind, not precise surveying.
How folks use it
- “The deer stand is out on the back forty.”
- “I found that toolbox clear out on the back forty of the shed.”
Origin and etymology
American farm talk. Homestead and rural land was often counted in forty-acre units. Back forty named the far parcel and then loosened into a metaphor for anywhere out of the way.