every man for himself

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Idioms and Phrases

Each individual puts his or her own interests foremost. For example, In this company no one helps anyone—it's every man for himself . In Chaucer's day this dictum was stated approvingly, meaning “if you don't look out for yourself, no one else will,” but today such selfishness is usually censured. Despite the wording, the term applies to either sex.

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Example Sentences

That ‘every-man-for-himself’ talk aint the law we know, Toy.

From Project Gutenberg

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April 24, 2024gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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