In this mini episode, you will learn the idiom “all over the map.”
Episode 343 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the idiom “all over the map.” Send your questions about English and your comments and suggestions to EverybodyESL@gmail.com! (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hi! This is Amy, from Bucheon, Korea. And you’re listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 343 of Everybody ESL, the podcast for everybody who wants to improve their English, practice their English, or just learn more English. My name is Ben, and I have a mini episode for you today, where I am going to teach you about one English topic. You can subscribe to the Everybody ESL podcast at Apple podcasts and wherever you find your podcasts. If you like Everybody ESL, leave it a good review so other people can find out about it too. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for me, please send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. Okay! Let’s get on with this mini episode.
The episode
In this episode, I am going to teach you an interesting and useful idiom. And that idiom is “all over the map.” All over the map.
That’s all: a-l-l, over: o-v-e-r, the: t-h-e, map: m-a-p. “All over the map.”
What does it mean when we describe something as all over the map?
There is a literal meaning to this expression, and that is “covering a wide area.” Imagine something that covers a wide area on a map. That thing is all over the map. It spreads across the map. In other words, it happens over a wide area.
But that’s not usually how we use the expression “all over the map.” Usually, when we describe something or someone as all over the map, we are saying that this thing or person is not focused. It is not focused in one place or focused on one subject. Instead, it is more general or less organized. Less focused.
Let me give you an example of a situation where we might use the expression “all over the map.”
“I think that politician is very smart, but during the interview, he was all over the map.” I think that politician is very smart, but during the interview, he was all over the map.
What does that mean? Why would we say that a politician is all over the map? What does that mean? That means that instead of giving very focused answers or concentrating on one topic or one subject, this politician was covering all kinds of different subjects, and maybe as a result of that seemed unfocused or disorganized.
Maybe this politician was not very good at sticking to one point or making one good argument. Instead, they talked about all kinds of different things in a way that felt disorganized.
That’s the kind of thing we often mean when we use the expression “all over the map.” We mean that something is not focused. Instead, it seems disorganized or like it is talking about too many different things.
You can describe a person as all over the map. You could describe an argument as all over the map. You could describe a story as all over the map. I think “all over the map” can work with all of those kinds of things.
And that is “all over the map,” an interesting and useful idiom that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 343 of Everybody ESL. Remember: if you have questions about English, or if you have comments for me, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Amy recorded the introduction you heard at the beginning of this episode—send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. I’ll be back soon with a new episode. And until then, keep going, keep practicing, and keep learning. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!