walk all over

[carla guaraldi]

Hi everyone,

What is the meaning of " I hope you don't walk all over everyone else like this" ?
Thank you.

 

[abaka]

"To walk all over" someone is to harrass, bully, or betray them.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I agree with "harass" and "bully". I would add "to treat with disrespect". I don't see "betrayal" in that idiom.

 

[abaka]

In this external link, all three of my senses are clearly present, as well as MikeNewYork's addition.

 

[MikeNewYork]

In that relationship advice article, I see a lot of disrespect, but I don't see betrayal.

 

[abaka]

When a woman says about her ex-boyfriend that "he walked all over me" by breaking up immediately after pretending he loved her and getting her into bed, as for example here, I think there's a definite betrayal of trust involved. Don't you?

 

[MikeNewYork]

That is not what the idiom means. Even the "oh poor me" relationship website did not suggest that. If a guy shoots a girl in the head, would you say he "walked all over her"? If a guy stole a woman's car, would you say "he walked all over her"? The idiom does not cover every evil act ever committed.

 

[emsr2d2]

I wouldn't be taking anything written by the sobbing teenager in Seventeen magazine as grammatically relevant. Never mind her emotional state, I would say she doesn't understand the idiom "to walk all over somebody" either.

 

[abaka]

I wouldn't be taking anything written by the sobbing teenager in Seventeen magazine as grammatically relevant.

I was afraid you'd say that. I think your attitude is inappropriate in this case for two reasons, even aside from your apparent dismissal of teenage human emotions. First, the discussion is not about grammatical usage but about lexical usage. Under question is the meaning of the phrase "to walk all over someone", not the grammatical literacy of those who use it. Second, "to walk all over someone" is colloquial at best. It is certainly not formal English in any sense of the word. Therefore my link to Seventeen is appropriate, and its non-standard punctuation and spelling should be allowed for. Any phrase has the meaning people choose to give it in all sincerity.

 

[MikeNewYork]

This discussion is about the meaning of an idiom. It is not about personal problems. And there are things in English that are as important as bare meaning. "Me and Jimmy be going to the park" has meaning, but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[abaka]

This discussion is about the meaning of an idiom.

Exactly. And she clearly meant being betrayed when she complained of being walked all over.

A few more examples (links in the numbers):

1.

Today is an interesting day. I'm to meet with a man who betrayed me, and my family. Sold me out, and walked all over my face.

2.

Check your role in the betrayal. It is hard to see beyond the pain you are in, but at some point, you have to look deep and examine your own role in the whole situation. Did you set yourself up as a doormat for that person to walk all over you?

3.

I used to have a daughter.
She walked all over me. Yes. I am that dumb.
She stole from me and others. I still loved her.
She lied. I still loved her.
She deceived. I still loved her.
She fornicated. I still loved her.
She destroyed. I hurt.
She betrayed. I am left bereft a child.

 

[MikeNewYork]

In m opinion, none of that is relevant to the original question.

 

[abaka]

You disagree that "to walk all over" someone can mean "to betray" them. I provide several examples where the meaning is clearly "to betray". You dismiss all of them without giving reasons. Whatever.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Your examples had nothing to do with betrayal. Whatever, indeed.

 

[abaka]

Each of the last three examples was explicitly about betrayal, as my bolding shows.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yeah, right.

 

[emsr2d2]

I am closing this thread. Much like threads with another user based in Edmonton (strange coincidence), this thread has become a discussion between two native speakers, at least one of whom seems determined to start a row.

Trying to end a discussion with "Whatever" is fine - if you're 12.