every which where
- idiom
- Informal
- I looked for my wallet every which where, but I still couldn't find it.
Examples
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During the renovation, dust managed to get every which where in the house.
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Confetti was scattered every which where after the celebration ended.
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I looked for my keys every which where.
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Have you checked every which where for your wallet?
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Dust was scattered every which where during the construction work.
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After the storm, leaves were blown every which where across the yard.
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He searched every which where for his lost book, but it was nowhere to be found.
Synonyms
In every part of a place
In all places
In all places
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'in every possible place' is directly derivable from combining 'every' and 'where'; the inserted 'which' functions as an emphatic/filler element rather than changing composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer 'everywhere'. This pattern of periphrastic emphasis is common and cross-linguistically recognizable, supporting a transparent rating.
Etymology
Every which where is a playful doubling of words to show things are all over; imagine confetti thrown so it lands in every direction and every place, with which and where making the image stronger. So, it now means 'in every possible place' or 'everywhere'.