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What does "wall" mean?

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In addition to the idioms beginning with wall, also see back to the wall; beat one's head against the wall; between you and me and the lamppost (four walls); climb the walls; drive someone crazy (up the wall); fly on the wall; go to the wall; handwriting on the wall; hole in the wall; off the wall; run into a stone wall.

See wall in WNW Idioms

drive to the wall

or push to the wall

to place in a desperate or extreme position

drive up the wall

or send up the wall

Informal to make frantic, emotionally tense, crazy, etc.

go to the wall

to be forced to retreat or yield in a conflict; suffer defeat
to fail in business; become bankrupt

hit the wall

or hit a wall

Informal to come to a point beyond which there is no further progress to hit the wall after four years of steady profits

off the wall

â Slang

unsound of mind; crazy
very eccentric or unconventional

See wall in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Idioms

off the wall

Slang

Extremely unconventional.
Without foundation; ridiculous: an accusation that is really off the wall.

up the wall

Slang

Into a state of extreme frustration, anger, or distress: tensions that are driving me up the wall.

writing

/handwriting on the wall

An ominous indication of the course of future events: saw the writing on the wall and fled the country.

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