1
general::
Phrase(s): Every man for himself (and the devil take the hindmost). [and] Devil take the hindmost
Prov. Everyone has to fight for his or her own survival. (You can use this to describe an extremely competitive situation.) • At first we tried to help each other study for the exam, but soon it was every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost. • The inventors tried to collaborate, agreeing to share the profits from their invention, but they grew so suspicious of each other that each began to work separately, and devil take the hindmost. • When the ship began to sink, it was every man for himself.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Each individual puts his or her own interests foremost. For example, In this company no one helps anyone? it's every man for himself. In Chaucer's day this dictum was stated approvingly, meaning "if you don't look out for yourself, no one else will," but today such selfishness is usually censured. Despite the wording, the term applies to either sex.
American Heritage Idioms