across the board
prepositional phrase
Forms across-the-board
- prepositional phrase (idiomatic) Pertaining to all categories or things.
- prepositional phrase (gambling) Having an equal amount staked on a competitor placing first, second, or third.
- prepositional phrase (chess) Of a move or sequence of play, made in response to developments occurring in the game, as opposed to pre-planned or according to theory.
Etymology
Originated with horse racing, where an "across the board" bet was one which covered first, second and third on the betting board.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “across the board”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details