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Pushed from pillar to post

Posted by James Briggs on June 18, 2000

In Reply to: Pushed from pillar to post posted by Ian Francis on June 16, 2000

: desperately need to know what this means its in the 'phrases found' section but no meaning or origin. can anybody help?

To go from pillar to post is to go from one disaster to another. It comes from the comparison with criminals going from the pillory to the whipping post.
Another possible definition suggests that the saying was originally from post to pillar. In this case the comparison is with old tennis courts and relates to the banging about of the balls.

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