What could be "across the great divide" in this context?

Question

Hi there,

I'm translating a Western on a salesman. He's preparing fake drugs, and ask his partner to call him "doctor." He says he has a new title, ATGD, which means "Across The Great Divide, which accounts for my presence here." What is he talking about?

Thanks for your comments!

Answer 1

Hi Patricia,

In your analogy, I would suspect that he envisions himself as being, to coin an older term, "Far Out".

Another translation would be he sees himself to be expanded above and beyond the norm ie, "across the great divide" or a step beyond the norm.

Happy Thanksgiving, and you are certainly welcome for the comments and thank you for your challenging question.

Darryl S.

Answer 2

The Great Divide commonly refers to the Continental Divide. I'm not sure what it means in this context, except that he's relocated himself to another part of the country.