across-the-board

[ uh-kraws-thuh-bawrd, -bohrd, uh-kros- ]

adjective

1. applying to all employees, members, groups, or categories; general:

   The across-the-board pay increase means a raise for all employees.

2. (of a bet) covering all possibilities of winning on a given result, especially by placing a combination bet on one horse in a race for win, place, and show.

across-the-board

adjective

1. (of salary increases, taxation cuts, etc) affecting all levels or classes equally
2. horse racing the US term for each way

Word History and Origins

Origin of across-the-board¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Idioms and Phrases

Applying to all the individuals in a group, as in They promised us an across-the-board tax cut , that is, one applying to all taxpayers, regardless of income. This expression comes from horse racing, where it refers to a bet that covers all possible ways of winning money on a race: win (first), place (second), or show (third). The board here is the notice-board on which the races and betting odds are listed. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.