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crawl (all) over each other
Of a group or population of people, to be in fierce or eager competition with one another such that the individual's well-being, success, or survival becomes secondary to that of others. It's sad, really, how people crawl all over each other just to earn a little bit more money. Whenever a major disaster occurs, people crawl over each other to secure food and shelter for themselves.
cut each other's throats
Of a group or population of people, to be engaged in ferocious, pernicious competition with one another. It's a symptom of the society we live in that we're all trained to cut each other's throats just to earn a little bit more money. The majority of the economy is dominated by a few megacorporations, while all the smaller businesses are cutting each other's throats for what little market share is left over.
each man for himself
Each person (not necessarily male) is now responsible for his or her own success, survival, betterment, etc., without regard for others. Working on Wall Street, you learn pretty quickly that it's each man for himself.
play one side against the other
To manipulate two opposing sides of an argument, conflict, competition, etc., against one another for one's own benefit or advantage. My father and my uncle are engaged in a bitter business rivalry. If I can play one side against the other, I might be able to secure some sizeable investments for my own company. Janet really dislikes Mary and wants to date her boyfriend Mike, so she's been playing one side against the other to get them to break up.
play one end against the other
To manipulate two opposing sides of an argument, conflict, competition, etc., against one another for one's own benefit or advantage. My father and my uncle are engaged in a bitter business rivalry. If I can play one end against the other, I might be able to secure some sizeable investments for my own company. Janet really dislikes Mary and wants to date her boyfriend Mike, so she's been playing one end against the other to get them to break up.
play each side against the other
To manipulate two opposing sides of an argument, conflict, competition, etc., against one another for one's own benefit or advantage. My father and my uncle are engaged in a bitter business rivalry. If I can play each side against the other, I might be able to secure some sizeable investments for my own company. Janet really dislikes Mary and wants to date her boyfriend Mike, so she's been playing each side against the other to get them to break up.
play each end against the other
To manipulate two opposing sides of an argument, conflict, competition, etc., against one another for one's own benefit or advantage. My father and my uncle are engaged in a bitter business rivalry. If I can play each end against the other, I might be able to secure some sizeable investments for my own company. Janet really dislikes Mary and wants to date her boyfriend Mike, so she's been playing each end against the other to get them to break up.
play one off against another/each other/the other
To manipulate two opposing sides of an argument, conflict, competition, etc., against one another for one's own benefit or advantage. My father and my uncle are engaged in a bitter business rivalry. If I can play one off against another, I might be able to secure some sizeable investments for my own company. Janet really dislikes Mary and wants to date her boyfriend Mike, so she's been playing one off against the other to get them to break up.
go at each other tooth and nail
To fight, battle, or compete against each other with great ferocity, vigor, and intensity. The incumbent president and his opponent went at each other tooth and nail in the televised debate last night. The rioters and police have been going at each other tooth and nail all night long.
each way
A bet in horse racing, in which the bettor wins money if his or her chosen horse comes in first, second, or third place. Primarily heard in UK. Give me an each way—that pony's got to finish in the top three.
at each other's throats
Said of two people who are noticeably angry with each other. Those two are at each other's throats because they can't agree on how to best lead the committee. You can hear their shouting all the way down the hall!
be at each other's throats
Of two or more people, to be noticeably and aggressively angry with each other. Those two are at each other's throats because they can't agree on how to best lead the committee. You can hear their shouting all the way down the hall!
cancel each other out
[for the opposite effects of two things] to balance each other. The cost of the meal you bought and what I owed you cancel each other out, so we're even. They canceled out each other.
made for each other
[of two people] very well suited romantically. Bill and Jane were made for each other. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were not exactly made for each other. They really don't get along.
To each his own.
Prov. Each person has the right to make choices. A: Bob likes chopped prunes on ice cream! B: To each his own.
weigh someone's words
1. Fig. to consider carefully what someone says. I listened to what he said, and I weighed his words very carefully. Everyone was weighing his words. None of us knew exactly what he meant.
2. Fig. to consider one's own words carefully when speaking. I always weigh my words when I speak in public. John was weighing his words carefully because he didn't want to be misunderstood.
with each passing day
as days pass, one by one; day by day. Things grow more expensive with each passing day. We are all growing older with each passing day.
to each their own
it is obviously right for someone else, although you cannot understand why Some people who work at home continue to dress in office clothes - well, to each his own, but I'd never do that.
made for each other
perfectly matched Those cool drinks and that hot, spicy food seem to have been made for each other. They are truly in love, and all of their friends thought they were made for each other.
at each other's throats
in angry disagreement The neighbors are at each other's throats over who should repair the fence.
weigh your words
to think carefully about what you will say I had weighed my words because I didn't want any confusion over what I intended to do.
take each day as it comes
also take it one day at a time to deal with things as they happen, and not to make plans or to worry about the future I've lived through a lot of changes recently, but I've learnt to take each day as it comes.
each to his/her own
also to each his/her own something that you say which means that it is acceptable for people to like or believe in different things I find it hard to believe that anyone enjoys gardening. Ah well, each to his own.
See take each day as it comes, live in each other's pocketslive in each other's pockets
if people live in each other's pockets, they spend too much time together I don't think it's healthy the way those two live in each other's pockets.
be at each other's throats
if two people are at each other's throats, they are arguing angrily When we lived together, we were always at each other's throats.
weigh your words
also weigh each word to think carefully about something before you say it Jake explained the reasons for his decision, weighing each word as he spoke.
at each other's throats
Arguing or fighting. For example, It was a very dramatic trial, with the prosecutor and the defense attorney constantly at each other's throats . This idiom, with its vivid image of two persons trying to strangle each other, is often applied to less physical forms of disagreement.
each and every one
Also,
every last one;
every single one. Every individual in a group, as in
Each and every student must register by tomorrow, or
I've graded every last one of the exams, or
Every single one of his answers was wrong. All of these phrases are generally used for emphasis. The first, although seemingly redundant, has replaced
all and every, first recorded in 1502. The first variant dates from the late 1800s, and both it and the second are widely used. Also see
every tom, dick, and harry.
Every mother's son (late 1500s) and
every man Jack (mid-1800s) are earlier versions that refer only to males.
each other
Also,
one another. Each one the other, one the other, as in
The boys like each other, or
The birds were fighting one another over the crumbs. Both of these phrases indicate a reciprocal relationship or action between the subjects preceding (
the boys, the birds). Formerly, many authorities held that
each other should be confined to a relationship between two subjects only and
one another used when there are more than two. Today most do not subscribe to this distinction, which was never strictly observed anyway. [Late 1300s] Also see
at each other's throats.
in one's pocket
1. In one's power or possession, under one's influence. For example, The defense lawyer had the jury in his pocket. [Mid-1800s]
2. in each other's pockets. In very close proximity or mutual dependence, as in Bert and Harry work in the same office, live in the same house, belong to the same clubs-they're constantly in each other's pockets . [Mid-1900s]
made for each other
Also, made for one another. Perfectly suited, as in Pat and Peter were just made for each other, or, as Samuel Richardson put it in Clarissa (1751): "Her features are all harmony, and made for one another." The use of made for in the sense of "fitted for" dates from the late 1100s.
to each his own
One has a right to one's personal preferences, as in I'd never pick that color, but to each his own. Versions of this maxim appeared in the late 1500s but the modern wording was first recorded in 1713.