first and last

first and last

Altogether; on the whole; primarily; above all else. First and last, be sure to be true to your own desires. Though they have begun venturing into other fields of business, the company is a tech firm first and last. "First and last, the politicians of this city are concerned with the priorities of their constituents"—yeah, right! Who wrote this newspaper article?

See also: and, first, last

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

first and last

Under all circumstances, always, as in She was an artist first and last. (For a synonym, see above all.) This expression, first recorded in 1589, should not be confused with the similar-sounding from first to last, which means "from start to finish" or "throughout," as in We cheered them on from first to last.

See also: and, first, last

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ˌfirst and ˈlast

mainly; only: The book is, first and last, an account of a poet’s development. ♢ I saw him for the first and last time at his father’s funeral.

See also: and, first, last

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017