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Over the top

Over the top

Meaning

Excessive.

Examples

A fine for my parking offence, that’s okay, but crushing the car was over the top.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 1920s. The literal ‘over the top’ relating to trench warfare originated a few years earlier.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Over the top

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