Meaning of back-fence | Babel Free

Definitions

Informal; armchair; carried out by people without direct knowledge or formal expertise.

not-comparable, usually

Examples

“Deford indulges in the worst sort⟳ of back-fence psychologizing about how Big Bill, this marvelous athlete and star, ever got that way. Possible causes are his Irving Bieber childhood, with a dominant close-binding mother and a recessive or absent father […] and his inability to sublimate his sex drive⟳ into tennis after his glory began to fade⟳ […] Throughout the text, Tilden is treated as a totally pathological fruitcake who walked funny, smelled funny and had the social grace of a six-year-old who had to get⟳ his way.”

“It is no surprise⟳ that the most trusted health "professional" is a friend or family member rather than a health care provider, as it is friends and family members who actually experience⟳ the health care system. The Internet can play⟳ a crucial role in expanding this "back-fence" discussion among friends and family members, as chat rooms and discussion groups can bring⟳ together many individuals facing similar problems.”

CEFR level