IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishoverstep the mark
Meaning: To go beyond what is acceptable.
Example: “Joking about his divorce in the speech really overstepped the mark.”
Origin: The "mark" is a line not to be crossed, as in sports or races. The phrase is found from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Pousser le bouchon un peu loin Literally: To push the cork a bit far
More English idioms
- come down on someone like a ton of bricks To criticize or punish someone very severely.
- set tongues wagging To cause people to gossip.
- give free rein To give someone complete freedom to act.
- left on the shelf To be considered too old to marry; more generally, to be passed over.
- take with a grain of salt To be skeptical about something; not to take it entirely at face value.
- the game is not worth the candle The effort or cost is greater than the reward.
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