far piece
A long way — distance you feel in your bones, not on a map.
Also called fur piece, ferr piece.
Updated September 21, 2026
far piece pronunciation
/FAR peess / FUR peess/
Meaning
Means a considerable stretch of road or trail. Not a set number of miles. If somebody says the store is a far piece, plan on a real trip, not a quick hop. Often said fur piece, with far sounding like fur. Piece here means distance, an older Scotch-Irish habit that stuck in Appalachian talk.
How folks use it
- “It's a far piece out to where my sister lives, so I don't get over there much.”
- “Town's a fur piece if you're walking it in this heat.”
Origin and etymology
Piece meaning an indefinite distance is Scotch-Irish English brought into Appalachia. Michael Montgomery and Ulster Scots word lists cite forms like It's a far piece to town and back. Dictionary of American Regional English places far piece chiefly South, South Midland, and North Central. Fur piece is the same phrase with the regional vowel shift on far.
Frequently asked questions
How far is a far piece?
No fixed mileage. It just means far enough you notice it, whether that is five miles of bad road or fifty.