The phrase “a bridge too far” means a step or act that is regarded as being too drastic to take, or something that is very difficult to achieve. It is an idiom that was inspired by Operation Market Garden, a military operation in World War II that attempted to capture several bridges in the Netherlands, but failed to secure the last one, which was later described as “a bridge too far” by British Lieutenant General Frederick Browning. The phrase became popular after the publication of a non-fiction book by Cornelius Ryan in 1974, which chronicled the events of the operation, and the subsequent film adaptation by Richard Attenborough in 1977. The phrase it often used to express that something is overly ambitious or unrealistic, or that someone has gone beyond the limits of what is reasonable or possible. For example:
- Having Botox would be a bridge too far for me. I prefer to age naturally.
- That second goal proved a bridge too far for the home team. They couldn’t catch up with the visitors in the final minutes.
- Asking for a raise after only two months on the job was a bridge too far. He should have waited until he proved his worth.
