English, baby!

over the top

Date: May 23 2002

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“Typical Hollywood nonsense. They always have to go over the top.”
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, action movie star, suggesting what critics might think about his movie Collateral Damage.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

too much, excessive, extreme

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

You can say that something is “over the top” when it overwhelms you. When it’s too much for you. For example, if you’re eating a dessert that is very, very, very sweet, you could say that the dessert is “over the top.” Or, if you’re in a beautiful place and the weather is perfect, you could say that the place is “over the top.”
Funny movies can often be over the top. Action movies are almost always over the top. Hopefully, most parties are over the top. Some people can be over the top. Places can be over the top.
Any time something you’re experiencing is too much for you to handle, you could say that it’s “over the top!”

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””Natasha always has fun parties, but her birthday party last week was over the top.”“

””Jeff’s Halloween costume this year is over the top. He’s going to dress up as an alien astronaut!”“

””New Orleans is way too over the top for me. It’s fun to see on TV, but I wouldn’t want to go there.”“

””The Rock’s latest movie is totally over the top. It’s a great action movie, but it goes a bit too far sometimes.”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

I think “over the top” means to exaggerate, to put too much emphasis on what you are doing or saying.
by Nicoletta (Venice, Italy)
“Go over the top” means that you have to reach higher than expected.
by Guapinoni
My guess is that “over the top” means something is so exaggerated that goes out of control.
by Lu
I think that should means excessive, undue, over or too much.
by Jajun (San Jose, California USA ~ by way of China)
“over the top” means “to exaggerate”, to draw situations in a non realistic (rather too fantascientific) way.
by Tiziana (Milan, Italy)