Etymology In allusion to the sending of criers or messengers through the territory of a Scottish clan with an announcement or summons.
1
Idiomatic A long distance, in terms of dissimilarity or difference.
Life in the big city was a far cry from his upbringing on a quiet, small farm.
The perineometer of Kagele was unheard of and the hormonology of today is a far cry from the rather crude and relatively weak hormones available in the early and mid-thirties.1951 July, Richard D. Reekie, “Critical Analysis of Recent Advances in Gynecology”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 7, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 508:
2 more examples
Brienne intervenes in the story of Jaime Lannister, adding to his legend with the exploits she believes paint the picture of him that deserves to live on. Her words are a far cry from those Jaime used to describe himself at their last encounter, instead recounting his deeds and ending with the simple, “He died protecting his queen,” a sentence that belies the complicated mix of nobility and tragedy entwined in his actions.2019 May 19, Alex McLevy, “The final Game Of Thrones brings a pensive but simple meditation about stories (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 22 May 2019:
It's a far cry from a previous trip on a Class 150, where the set wheezed and vibrated so much as it staggered up Dainton Bank that I thought it was going to shake itself to bits!2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 65:
far cry
adv
Etymology In allusion to the sending of criers or messengers through the territory of a Scottish clan with an announcement or summons.