long shot, a

Idioms and Phrases

A remote possibility of success, as in It's a long shot that Joan will actually finish the marathon , or He may be a good programmer, but he's a long shot for that job . This expression alludes to the inaccuracy of early firearms, which when shot over a distance rarely hit the target. It is commonly used in horseracing for a bet made at great odds. A related phrase is not by a long shot , meaning “not even remotely,” as in I'll never make it to California in three days, not by a long shot . [Late 1800s]