All Over But The Shouting

All Over But The Shouting : Phrases

Meaning:

To raise a problem, issue, or solution right before an important deadline.


Example:

I had given up after trying for days to get tickets to a sold out show, then at the eleventh hour a friend calls to tell me she has tickets.


Origin:

For centuries, in England it was common practice to callan assembly of townspeople and decide matters with a simple voice vote - rather than hold formal elections -to decide local issues. The assemblies themselves wereknown as shoutings and when the outcome of an issue was known before the meeting, the situation wasdescribed as all over but the shouting.

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