...or in today's case, "phrase of the day"...
Beyond the pale
- not acceptable to most people; outside the bounds of acceptable behavior; outside agreed standards of decency
The phrase "beyond the pale" dates back to the 14th century, when the part of Ireland that was under English rule was delineated by a boundary made of such stakes or fences, and known as the English Pale. To travel outside of that boundary, beyond the pale, was to leave behind all the rules and institutions of English society, which the English modestly considered synonymous with civilization itself.