fall wide of the mark

fall wide of the mark

1. Literally, to be far from hitting a target. Wow, that shot really fell wide of the mark. Is the ball even still on the green? Watch out, that arrow is falling wide of the mark!
2. By extension, to be inaccurate or wrong. I never once said that! Your reporter's accusations fall completely wide of the mark. I thought I knew what real estate costs around here, but wow, I fell wide of the mark.
See also: fall, mark, of, wide
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

be/fall wide of the ˈmark

(also be (a long) way off the ˈmark) be not at all correct or accurate: No one knew where Bangalore was, and their guesses were all wide of the mark. OPPOSITE: on the nose
See also: fall, mark, of, wide
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • be wide of the mark
  • be/fall wide of the mark
  • wide of the mark
  • (you) coulda fooled me
  • (you) could have fooled me
  • beat (one) hollow
  • beat hollow
  • beat somebody/something hollow
  • a ringside seat
  • above and beyond the call of duty
References in periodicals archive
THEIR singer's been described as having the "unholiest shriek in rock", they've been likened to a string of bands that fall wide of the mark and they claim Franz Ferdinand were "before our time".
Spirited away; Holy Esque are Scotland's most exciting new rock band and they are introducing fans in the US to their unholy racket as they play a debut show
While last year's performance was defined by a dismal fourth quarter, the most pessimistic of predictions for 2008 will most likely fall wide of the mark, LaSalle Investment Management announced in their 2007 / 2008 US Real Estate Securities Market Review and Outlook.
REITs still on the money despite dull 4Q performance
Predictions sometimes fall wide of the mark, but at other times they are eerily spot on.
Perspective: Truth is stranger than fiction
It's an angry spraygun approach, and many of the shots fall wide of the mark.
LETTERS AND DEBATE
And a low cross to the near post proved to be the visitors' best chance of the half when John Aloisi threw himself at the ball, only to see his excellent effort fall wide of the mark.
ACTION REPLAY:NAILS BITTEN TO; THE QUICK!; Leicester City 1 Coventry City 0
Occasionally the jokes fall wide of the mark and in places you'll see the gags coming from a mile off, but these are minor gripes about a movie that has got something for everybody.
What's on this week: Pegg hits the target with comic copper; MOVIE OF THE WEEK Spaced star cops a great role as a big city police officer sent to a sleepy village in England to clean up crime HOT FUZZ SATURDAY, SKY MOVIES 1, 8pm
In the cook house, they turned back to their chicken Kiev and joked about the inaccuracy of the Chinesemade rockets - most of which are dud or fall wide of the mark The battlegroup's leader, Colonel Ben Edwards, said: "They're a nuisance, to be honest, for as long as they keep missing.
Iraqi rockets landed outside the camp..the boys turned back to their chicken Kiev