from pillar to post
From one place, place, or thing to another, hither and thither.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The company sent me from pillar to post to fix my bill.”
“I travel from pillar to post to find the right parts for my car.”
“I spent all morning calling different departments and being sent from pillar to post without getting any answers.”
“The young intern spent his first week being moved from pillar to post as every manager needed help with a different urgent project.”
“After the storm damaged their house, the family had to move from pillar to post, staying in three different hotels in just one month.”
“The refugees were driven from pillar to post by shifting borders and uncaring bureaucracies, finding no permanent sanctuary anywhere.”
first recorded 20th c. disputed origin
The phrase is perhaps a reference to the rapid movement of the ball in real tennis, possibly originating as from post to pillar. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Proverbs (1993) notes that the latter variation dates to at least the 15th century, though the exact transition of the terms remains unproven. Given the chaos of the early game, the movement described was likely more a matter of frantic necessity than of strategy.
- 01
be left at the post
To be beaten from the beginning of a competition or race.
- 02
dumb as a post
Utterly mute; lacking the ability to speak.
- 03
far post
The goalpost furthest from where a cross is made.
- 04
keep someone posted
To inform (someone) regularly of the latest developments.
- 05
knight of the post
A known perjurer; a professional false witness.
- 06
near post
The goalpost nearest from which a cross is made.
- 07
pip to the post
To overcome a strong competitor in a sporting event, especially by gaining a small advantage at the last decisive moment.
Last updated August 10, 2026