around Robin Hood's barn

prepositional phrase

the long way around; a roundabout or circuitous route

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticthe long way around; a roundabout or circuitous route
  2. idiomaticall over the place

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
the long way around the barn

Origin

Reference to Robin Hood, the legendary outlaw, whose barn was simply the fields and pastures surrounding Sherwood forest, his home. “Around Robin Hood’s barn” simply means all around the countryside, all through the fields and pastures.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

around Robin Hood's barn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/around%20Robin%20Hood's%20barn

MLA

“around Robin Hood's barn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/around%20Robin%20Hood's%20barn. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “around Robin Hood's barn,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/around%20Robin%20Hood's%20barn.

Source: around Robin Hood's barn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.