a far cry from something
a far cry from (something)
1. Vastly different from something. Living in the heart of New York City is certainly a far cry from living in the rural countryside.
2. A long distance away from something. When it's snowing here, it feels especially like we're a far cry from Hawaii.
a far cry from something
COMMON If a situation that exists now is a far cry from one that existed in the past, it is very different from it. It isn't a perfect democracy, but it's a far cry from the authoritarian rule of only a few years ago. The level of interest in stock car racing is a far cry from what it was when Petty first hit the circuit.