A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

EVERY man for himself

See also the later expanded forms in the next two proverbs.

c 1386 CHAUCER Knight’s Tale 1.1182 At the kynges court, my brother, Ech man

for hymself, ther is noon oother. 1478 J. WHETLEY Letter 20 May in Paston Letters

(1976) II. 427 Your moder.. hath made her wyll, the wyche ye shall understond more

when I com, for ther is every man for hym selff. 1678 J. RAY English Proverbs (ed. 2)

(Scottish) 366 Every man for himself (quoth the Merteine). 1795 D. YANCEY Letter 6

June in Virginia Magazine of Hist. & Biography (1922) XXX. 224 The old adage might

well be applied in many cases. Every man for himself. 1974 A. PRICE Other Paths to

Glory II. vi. It was pretty much every man for himself. But I was hit quite early on. self-

preservation

EVERY man for himself, and devil take the hindmost

The two earliest examples are more closely aligned in form to the following proverb. See
also DEVIL take the hindmost.

1530 A. BARCLAY Eclogues (EETS) I. 1009 Eche man for him selfe, and the fiende

for all. 1573 J. SANFORDE 108 V Euery man for him selfe; and the Deuill for all. 1858 D.

M. MULOCK Women’s Thoughts about Women ii. The world is hard enough, for two-

thirds of it are struggling for the dear life—’each for himself, and de’il tak the hindmost.’

1939 L. I. WILDER By Shores of Silver Lake xxv. There wasn’t any standing in line. .. It

was each fellow for himself and devil take the hindmost. 2001 Spectator 24 Nov. 29 One

senses that..Tories are hostile to that extra refinement of civilisation: it’s every man for

himself, and devil take the hindmost. Remember what Mrs Thatcher said about not

helping ‘lame ducks’..? self-preservation

EVERY man for himself, and God for us all

1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs II. ix. L2 Praie and shifte eche one for

hym selfe, as he can. Every man for hym selfe, and god for us all. 1615 T. ADAMS White

Devil (ed. 2) 83 That by-word, Euery man for himselfe, and God for vs all, is

vncharitable, vngodly. 1830 MARRYAT King’s Own III. xiii. The captain.. ordered the

sailor to leave the boat. ‘Every man for himself, and God for us all!’ was the cool answer

of the refractory sea-man. 1979 Times 29 Dec. 12 Each for himself, and God for us all, as