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Reader question: In this sentence – ‘Avengers’ thrashes all comers at weekend box office – what does “all comers” mean? My comments: Here, all comers refer to all other films currently showing in theaters and cinemas. Put in another way, The Avengers, a Walt Disney production, beat all competition over the weekend at the box office, i.e. selling more tickets than any other film. “All comers” is a colloquialism referring to all participants in a contest or competition. Simply put, all comers are ALL who have COME. Perhaps you’ve heard of an all-comers sports meet. That means an event in which people of all ages and abilities are eligible to take part. A sports meet usually pits people of similar age or abilities against each other. Think of the Olympics. However, if it’s an all-comers event, you know everyone can join and play. Unlike the Olympics or the World Championship, all-comers events usually happen at the local community level, of course. An all-comers rope jumping event, for example, may involve anyone from six to 70, and including girls and women, and children, boys and men, kindergarten kids as well as grandmas and pas. In an event like this, the important thing is to participate, as they say. And, as they say, if you’re ready to take on all comers, you’re ready to fight them all, fearing nobody. In other words, you’re ready to take on challenges from all corners. | 
