All around Robin Hood's barn

I am sure you do remember Robin Hood, a man who lived as an outlaw in Sherwood Forest in central England. He is famous in stories for robbing rich and giving to the needy.

His name is used to describe a situation in which money is taken from well-off people and given to those who are badly off.

Example: A new higher-rate tax that will have a "Robin Hood effect" on income distribution.

Clearly, Robin Hood's house was the Sherwood Forest. The roof of his house was leaves and branches. He did not have a barn and in fact did not need a barn. The phrase simply means a circuitous roundabout route all over a place.

Now, you no longer need to go all around Robin Hood's barn to discover the meaning of this phrase.