every man for himself

every man for himself

Each individual puts his or her own interests foremost. For example, In this company no one helps anyone—it’s every man for himself. In Chaucer’s day this dictum was stated approvingly, meaning “if you don’t look out for yourself, no one else will,” but today such selfishness is usually censured. Despite the wording, the term applies to either sex.

Examples from the Web for every man for himself Historical Examples of every man for himself

That ‘every-man-for-himself’ talk aint the law we know, Toy.

The Man from the Bitter Roots

Caroline Lockhart