all over the place
Also, all over town or the world. See under all over, def. 1.
Words nearby all over the place
MORE ABOUT ALL OVER THE PLACE
What does all over the place mean?
All over the place is a phrase that can either mean everywhere or disorganized.
All over the place is used as a synonym of everywhere to refer to an entire area or every possible location, as in I dropped the bucket and water spilled all over the place.
In this sense, all over the place is a variation of the shorter phrase all over and is used similarly to phrases like all over town and all over the world.
All over the place is also used to mean that something or someone is chaotic or disorganized, as in The weather this week has been all over the place, going from sunny to severe thunderstorms to blizzards.
Example: The clowns were throwing pies all over the place and made a mess of the circus ring.
Where does all over the place come from?
The first records of the “all over” sense of all over the place come from around 1719. The first records of the “disorganized” sense of all over the place came later.
Both meanings of all over the place are commonly used. When referring to physical locations, all over the place is often used in exaggerations to emphasize how widespread or long-ranging something is. You might describe seeing ants all over the place if you see ants in multiple rooms, for example.
If your teacher thinks your essay is disorganized, they might say it’s all over the place. You might use all over the place to play up how disorganized or hectic something seemed to be. For example, when you have homework in every subject and jump from assignment to assignment to get it all done, you might feel like you’re all over the place.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to all over the place?
- all over town (variation)
- all over the world (variation)
What are some synonyms for all over the place?
What are some words that share a root or word element with all over the place?
What are some words that often get used in discussing all over the place?
How is all over the place used in real life?
All over the place is a common phrase that describes things that are either seemingly everywhere or are extremely disorganized.
Bill and Ted Face the Music: It was all over the place and made absolutely no sense. But I enjoyed very much! 😀
— David Tag (@davidtagactor) September 21, 2020
Do you mean to tell me that nowhere in my car is a random bobby pin that I can use, but at my house I find them all over the place?! #rude
— Ciara D'Anella (@ciara_danella) November 23, 2019
Why is it when you get a new car you see them all over the place but before that they never existed? 🤔
— Stacy Peralta (@hgage24) July 30, 2020
Try using all over the place!
Is all over the place used correctly in the following sentence?
His rambling speech was all over the place, and nobody was sure what point he was trying to make.
How to use all over the place in a sentence
France 24 is providing live, round-the-clock coverage of both scenes as they progress.
But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.
The world that Black Dynamite lives in is not the most PC place to be in.
They are always suspended over a precipice, dangling by a slender thread that shows every sign of snapping.
And now, similarly, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee: "Bend over and take it like a prisoner!"Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is most peculiar, and when he plays that way, the most bewitching little expression comes over his face.Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution.The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
After we had passed over this desert, we found several garisons to defend the caravans from the violence of the Tartars.
After relievedly giving the pistol to the nearest soldier, he stumbled quickly over to Brion and took his hand.Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
This is the place where the Muscovite criminals are banished to, if they are not put to death.