all over (someone) like a rash
- idiom
- UK
:
encima de (alguien) como una lapa
- The moment he entered the office, the interns were all over him like a rash asking questions.
Examples
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Ever since he got famous, the press have been all over him like a rash.
-
She hates it when people are all over her like a rash at parties.
-
Stop being all over her like a rash!
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He is all over her like a rash!
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He was all over her like a rash, constantly checking her phone and asking where she was.
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She felt overwhelmed by his attention; it was like he was all over her like a rash.
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After they started dating, he became all over her like a rash, wanting to be with her every minute.
Synonyms
12
7.9
Openly showing too much emotion and physical closeness that makes others uncomfortable
3
9.7
Likely to touch people too much in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable
1
7.6
To praise or thank someone too much and show strong liking for them
1
9.9
Being too careful or worried about someone in a way that feels annoying
Antonyms
How Clingy
Surface Forms
Morphology
all + over + (someone) + like + a + rash
The components 'all over' (everywhere) and 'like a rash' (something that spreads and is unwelcome) together suggest a pervasive, intrusive presence, so a learner who knows the words can get a general sense of being 'everywhere' around someone. However, mapping that image onto the specific social meaning of being clingy or annoyingly attentive is a metaphorical extension that is not fully predictable without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The phrase all over (someone) like a rash may come from the image of a skin rash that spreads quickly and is very irritating. If people are all over someone like that, they swarm them and are hard to avoid, so the saying means 'extremely attentive or clingy'.