Meaning of from pillar to post | Babel Free

Definitions

From one place, place, or thing to another, hither and thither.

dated, idiomatic, not-comparable

Equivalents

Examples

“Mr. [Charles] Babbage, in his work on the Economy of Manufactures, suggests a new plan of forwarding the mail. […] Mr. Babbage proposes the erection of pillars along each line of road; these pillars are to be connected by inclined wires, or iron rods, along which the letters, inclosed in cylinders attached to the rods by rings, are to slide; persons stationed on these columns are to forward the cylinders from each point, after having extracted the contents belonging to their own station. In this manner it is calculated that a letter might be sent (from pillar to post), to the farthest limits of the land in the course of a very small portion of time; […]”

“Q. You applied to Secretary [George Sewall] Boutwell because you had ascertained you could not get redress anywhere else?—A. No; we were sent from pillar to post, and from post to pillar, and we got no satisfaction any way.”

“All these things, and others of like nature, are in their minds floating possibilities; in consequence of which they are sent from pillar to post in the realms of opinion, and are never anchored anywhere.”

“[…] gays are still hounded from pillar to post by the watchdogs of American society.”

“We campaigned like hell. On election day we went from pillar to post begging people to support us.”

“When the bill becomes an act, it will provide a big relief to people who now run from pillar to post and are forced to pay bribes to get their work done in government offices.”

“Back in August, the Toon ace [Joey Barton] was kicked from pillar to post by Karl Henry in a bone-crunching midfield battle at Molineux.”

“There was also a belief that they had been taken advantage of - "kicked from pillar to post, the bottom dogs in the labour market because of the inherent love of railmen for their jobs", according to one NUR member.”

“pushed from pillar to post... kicked from pillar to post... driven from pillar to post...”

CEFR level