Going over the top

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"Over the top" redirects here. For articles with similar names, see Over the top (disambiguation).

"Going over the top" is a military phrase derived from the trench warfare of the First World War.

Attacks starting from trenches required infantry to climb over the top of the parapet before they could cross no man's land to attack the enemy trenches.

Due to the risk involved in attacking in the face of entrenched defenders with their artillery and machine guns the phrase continues to have some use in describing leaving a position of comfort to go somewhere dangerous (compare to "out of the frying pan, into the fire").

There is a similar phrase, "over the top" (OTT), referring instead to excessive behaviour. A person engaging in such activity would be "going over the top."


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