Choosing to be nobody’s doormat, and definitely not inviting anyone to “walk all over” you? Excellent choice! Here’s the lowdown on this idiom, its relatives, and, surprisingly, its inspiring side.
🚶♂️ Walk All Over Someone, To
Definition: To treat someone with complete disregard, showing no respect for their feelings or opinions.
Origin: Mid-nineteenth-century America, famously used by Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn (1884): “In the North, he lets anybody walk over him that wants to.”
Synonyms:
- Push around
- Trample on
- Steamroll
- Ride roughshod over
Antonyms:
- Respect
- Revere
- Treat fairly
Humor-Filled Quotes:
- “I’m so good at being a doormat, I’m thinking of embroidering ‘welcome’ on my forehead.” – The Sarcastic Me
Proverbs:
- “He who allows people to walk over him ends up dirty.”
- “The comfort of the slipper is unequaled, but let no one treat you as their old pair.”
Literary Reference:
- In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Edna Pontellier decides she will no longer let society walk all over her, in her defiant search for independence.
Suggest Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry, and Movies:
- Literature: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, where Elizabeth Bennet surely does not let Mr. Darcy walk all over her.
- Song: Fight Song by Rachel Platten, an anthem for anyone refusing to be stepped on.
- Movie: Erin Brockovich, where the protagonist defies being walked over by those in power.
- Poetry: “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou captures the essence of rising above attempts to be marginalized.
Intriguing Quizzes on “Walk All Over Someone”:
### Which of these is a genuine idiom?
- [x] Walk all over someone
- [ ] Leapfrog your thoughts
- [ ] Crawl through your shadow
- [ ] Stomp fairytales
> **Explanation:** Only "Walk all over someone" is an idiom, the others are, well, quite weird!
### What conveys a similar meaning to "Walk all over someone"?
- [x] Push around
- [ ] Fly high
- [ ] Grow roots
- [ ] Sail smooth
> **Explanation:** "Push around" implies treating someone with little respect, similar to how "walk all over someone" is used.
### True or False: "Walk all over someone" means to share a friendly stroll.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** Far from it! It means to treat someone carelessly or with complete disregard for their dignity.
### Choose the book where characters don't let others 'walk all over them'.
- [x] Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- [ ] 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James
- [ ] The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- [ ] Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
> **Explanation:** Pride and Prejudice! Elizabeth Bennet won’t let anyone walk all over her, not even Mr. Darcy.
Farewell, fellow language lover! Remember, stand tall, and let no one walk all over you. Every step taken should be towards respect and dignity. Until next idiom! ✨📚🚶♂️
