The quote is a part of a speech called 'A Square Deal' by Roosevelt: 'Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing; and this is a prize open to every man, for there can be no better worth doing than that done to keep in health and comfort and with reasonable advantages those immediately dependent upon the husband, the father, or the son.' Complete speech: http://www.memorablequotations.com/SquareDeal.htm -----removed description from here------- ---------------*Update*-------------------------------- Hey, after thinking it over, I realised that my description could possibly be wrong, so I am removing it. Peachey and Denis have more apt replies. Hope I didn't confuse you. Sorry :-) ---------------*Update*-------------------------------- Cheers.

romulus, The expression basically means that there is a great distance in terms of quality between the best and the second best prize. The adverb 'Far and away' could be simplified to 'far away', 'by far', or even 'far'. -Far away the best prize that life has to offer -By far the best prize..... -Far the best prize ...... "Away" is added for emphasis with the meaning 'very' or 'to a great extent '. examples Back in the days of the neanderthal.....Away back in the days of the neanderthal..... Down South in the land of cotton.......Away down South in the land of cotton...... Other expressions......it would be hard to find one as poetic as 'far and away'. By a wide margin the best prize that life has to offer.... By a mile the best prize..... Out and out the best prize.... Out and away the best prize....actually this means almost the exact same thing. Without a doubt the best prize.... The very best prize.....

I think "above all else" is a possible equivalent. :) To me, the "away" part suggests that nothing else can surpass or go beyond that. Using "better" is simply a relative term, and still allows something else to supersede it.