anything goes

Idioms  

1. Everything is permitted, as in You're wearing sneakers to the office?—Why not? Anything goes these days. This idiom began life as everything goes, which appeared in George Meredith's novel The Egoist (1879). In America anything was the preferred word, which gained further currency with Cole Porter's use of the term as the title of his 1934 song and musical comedy, Anything Goes!

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Example Sentences

Throughout his career, Soderbergh has sought out new technology and filmmaking techniques to play around with, lending his work an exciting sandbox quality where anything goes.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

“And high asset prices, which certainly feel good in the short run, create additional risk if anything goes wrong,” Dimon says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

"There are always trolls whenever anything goes that big and people are always negative, but overall I've never been called a genius so much in my life."

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

“Experts also advise traveling in groups and bringing a satellite communication device to contact help if anything goes wrong.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

“Do what you must, then. But keep an eye on those children, Miss Lumley. And if anything goes amiss, remember...you can always bring ’em to the vet.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood