hither and yon


hither and yon

1. In many different places; everywhere. The kids came in from the beach tracking sand hither and yon. We've looked hither and yon for the cat, but there's no sign of him.2. In many different directions; this way and that. People ran hither and yon when the store opened its doors for the big sale. They found the lost child wandering hither and yon.See also: and, hither, yon

hither and thither/yon

Here and there; from here to there. The terms, which today have a somewhat archaic or poetic ring, include words that are rarely used outside these expressions: hither, for here; thither, for there; and yon, for yonder. Edward Fitzgerald’s translation of Omar Khayyam describes destiny (fate) playing a game of chess with human beings: “Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays” (1859). W. Somerset Maugham used the second expression with a similar meaning: “The wan characters of Chekhov’s stories drifted hither and yon at the breath of circumstances.” (Christmas Holiday, 1939).See also: and, hither, thither, yon

hither and yon

near and far. “Hither” means toward the speaker. “Yon” is “far away” (as in “beyond” and “over yonder”). Put them together and you've got all the territory covered. Another similar archaic phrase is “hither and thither,” meaning this way and that way, or a state of utter confusion.See also: and, hither, yon