Every man for himself

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Meaning

A scramble where each fights alone, no help given.

Origin

From 14th-century England, in Chaucer's 1386 'Canterbury Tales'-'everich man for himself'-for a flee, slang by 1540s for panic. A 1562 shipwreck tale boosts it.

Variants

  • Man for himself

Usage Examples

  • When the layoffs hit, it was every man for himself.
  • Every man for himself in this sale; grab it!
  • The ship sank; every man for himself!

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