what do u mean when u say u're in a "no man's land?"?

Answer 1

"No man's land" comes from WWI army slang: it referred to the area between opposing armies' lines of defense that was held, or controlled, by neither army. So "no man's land" is a territory, or by extension any other place, that is unoccupied or abandoned, or where one is alone and unprotected.

Answer 2

Interesting idiom.

The ww stuff is true. The term no-man's-land goes back to the early 14th century, first used for a vast wasteland outside the north walls of London where criminals were executed. Rotting bodies hanged, impaled, and beheaded criminals were left in the open as a warning to potential lawbreakers. This area became to be known as no-man's land since no one would seek to claim this land for ownership. 400 years later, the term was applied to a little-used area on ships called the forecastle, a place where various ropes, tackle, block and other supplies were stored.

In usage, it means a place where you're on your own, without anyone to back you up. A man might say an all woman's office is no man's land. Or a job hunter going into a high-profile interview.

I have never heard it in conversational usage referring to a location being fought over by opposing parties; but I have seen it used to mean a place where NO one dares go; or a location where women are that men dare not go.

There's more on wikipedia.

Answer 3

It is a phrase used to describe a place that is generally desolate or very difficult living such as inhabbitable. Many people have adopted this phrase into modern life in themes such as technology when refering to a situation that is very difficult, a place that has not been visited before, or a nearly unsolveable problem. The phrase can have a very broad meaning but this is the gist of it.

Answer 4

At work, "no man's land" is the front office. I work for a Budweiser distributor where the only people allowed in the front office are the admin girls and supervisors. Sales staff, drivers, warehousemen, etc., talk to us through the "driver's room" check-in window or via their Nextels. "Extreme no man's land" is the cashiers office where we check in the money our drivers bring in.

Answer 5

right field

up the creek without a paddle

lost

a land where no man has walked - proverbially

Answer 6

Problem free. Fantasy land.