Have you seen the phrase 'a stone's throw' somewhere and would like to know more about the context and origin of the saying ? 'A stone's throw' is a common figurative saying that is used to indicate a short, nondescript distance. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and common use of the expression.
Meaning
The phrase 'a stone's throw' is a popular figurative saying that mostly occurs in the English language.
'A stone's throw' implies that something is a short distance away, or compares two things with the implication that they are close to one another, most often geographically.
Sometimes the phrase 'a stone's throw' can be used to indicate that nonphysical things are almost alike, though this use is rarer.
'A stone's throw' can be used as a statement, as a response to something, or as a question about the distance of something.
The phrase 'a stone's throw' does not specify an actual distance, but is often just used to imply that the distance is short or not far.
The phrase is often said as 'a stone's throw away', though not always.
Someone can also use the phrase in the negative form to indicate that something is 'not a stone's throw' away from something else.
Use of the saying is mostly serious, though it can also be used in a joking manner when specified by the context of the discussion or the speaker.
Example Usage
“How were the two of you driving around for three hours trying to find our house in this neighborhood? It's just a stone's throw away from your own!”
“If you don't know how to find the place, it's about a stone's throw away from the hotel. Just around the corner from it, you'll know you're there when you've spotted the sign.”
“It's just a stone's throw away from the chicken place. Just check the directions on your phone if you can't find it.”
“If you don't know where your home town is, then it's just a stone's throw away from hell.”
Origin
According to most online language resources, the phrase 'a stone's throw' or 'a stone's cast' comes from the King James Version (KJV) translations of the Bible, though other phrase variations can be found throughout other texts.
The phrase appears in Luke 22, where it is often confused with the idiom 'people [in glass houses] should not throw stones' to which it is unrelated.
Use of the phrase is apparent from at least the 1700s to 1800s, and modern use of the phrase continued with the figurative meaning of the phrase remaining unchanged since its origin.
Urban Dictionary lists the phrase 'a stone's throw' in 2004 even though previous use of the expression is apparent.
Phrases Similar to Stone's Throw
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Phrases Opposite to Stone's Throw
- N/a
What is the Correct Saying?
- A stone's throw [away]
Ways People May Say Stone's Throw Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the phrase 'a stone's throw' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the saying.
A 'stone's throw' is not used to mention any actual, physical distance but is instead used to imply that one thing is close to another – thus, a short or small distance.
The phrase is not used as 'stones throw' as this is incorrect.
The phrase is often confused with 'casting stones', another expression used in place of judgment or judging someone – and the saying is not related to 'stone's throw'.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Stone's Throw
The correct way to use the phrase 'a stone's throw' is to say that something is 'a stone's throw away' from another, with the phrase implying that there is a short distance between two things.
The phrase can also be used in the negative form to imply that something is 'not a stone's throw' away from something else.