from pillar to post
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from pillar to post
Where it comes from
Possibly originally from post to pillar, perhaps a reference to the rapid movement of the ball in real tennis; The Wordsworth Dictionary of Proverbs (1993) notes that from post to pillar dates to at least the 15th century.
adverb from post to pillar
-
From one place, place, or thing to another, hither and thither.
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 a
Similar: hither and thither
Translations
Every language
adv from one place to another
| Español | ir de Herodes a Pilatos, de ceca en meca |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 东奔西跑 dōngbēnxīpǎo, 四处奔走, 到处漂泊 |
| Deutsch | von Pontius zu Pilatus |
| Română | de colo colo |
| Русский | туда-сюда tuda-sjuda |
Talk about this word "from pillar to post." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/from%20pillar%20to%20post. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. from pillar to post. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/from%20pillar%20to%20post "from pillar to post." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/from%20pillar%20to%20post.Cite this
@misc{from_pillar_to_post_2026,
title = {from pillar to post},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/from%20pillar%20to%20post},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
