Learn English – the exact meaning of the phrase “from the top on down”

phrase-meaning

I came across the phrase "from the top on down" in this sentence,

England is rotting from the top on down! We pledge our revenge on Nottingham Town!

I consulted some dictionaries but could only find "from top to bottom" and "from the top-down". Does the phrase "from the top on down" have the same meaning as "from top to bottom" or the same meaning as "from the top-down"?

Best Answer

Your quote by the "Merry Men" in The Adventures of Robin Hood (Scene 2)

from the top on down

England is rotting from the top on down! We pledge our revenge on Nottingham Town!

has the same meaning as

from head to toe
from head to tail
from tip to toe
from top to bottom

meaning the entire structure or being.

NB: One also notes that "bottom" does not rhyme very well with "town", and by phrasing this way the rhythm is kept consistent.

I originally thought this might have been a Leicester City football chant, but Nottingham City FC is commonly known as Forest.

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