In the expression 'across the pond', what is 'the pond'?

'Across the pond' refers to the Atlantic Ocean between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Before the 17th century, many large bodies of water were referred to as ponds. Bishop Joseph Hall called the collective oceans of the world 'the great pond' in his religious text 'Contemplations' in 1612, and in 1686, John Dunton referred to the Atlantic as the 'Great Herring Pond' in his letters about his journey from England to the 'new world'. Over time, this was shortened to 'Great Pond', then 'Pond'.

The first time the Atlantic Ocean was called the 'Pond' was in the 'Royal Gazette', a pro-British newspaper printed in New York in 1780. It recorded "Then Jack was sent across the Pond To take her in the rear, Sir."

The phrase 'across the pond' is still used today, particularly in the UK. There is a sense of irony when using the phrase because a pond is generally an artificial body of water. The Atlantic, on the other hand, is a large, unpredictable, natural body of water.

The Atlantic Ocean is the world's second-largest ocean, covering a total area of 106,400,000 square kilometres (41,100,000 square miles). It is named after the god Atlas from Greek mythology. It is bounded on the west by North and South America and connects to the Arctic Ocean through the Denmark Strait, Greenland Sea, Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. In the southeast, the Atlantic merges into the Indian Ocean, and in the southwest, it connects to the Pacific Ocean.

More Info: www.phrases.org.uk

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18 Comments

Leapy Lee

Norm Kraut, Aussies usually say Across the ditch for NZ

JRW

David Stokes, that's the ditch!

Alana King

Chris Brown, We also call it "the ditch", because, on a map, it is such a small gap of water, being a 'sea', rather than an ocean.

Player

Pond is used humorously not literally.

fdeisner

The question is not asking what is the definition of a pond. The question is asking what the word pond refers to in the phrase "across the pond". In the 1970s I worked for an International Airline in the international export office. In the international import office work the gentleman from England. He used the expression "across the pond" which was referring to the Atlantic Ocean. In different parts of the world it might have a different meaning but when referring to the UK and the USA It could only mean the Atlantic Ocean.

Carl Belken

Jas Newman, In my county Real Estate salespeople call anything larger than a mud puddle a 'lake'.

Phil Kennelty

Jas Newman, The difference between a pond and a lake is that a lake is fed buy rivers and streams, while a pond is primarily created from rainwater.

Jas Newman

"... a pond is generally an artificial body of water."—Not anywhere I've lived. A pond is any relatively small body of still water, natural or artificial.