Free-for-all

Today you heard that traffic in India is a “free-for-all.” That means there are no rules, and people do whatever they want. People drive on the sidewalks, they don’t pay attention to stoplights, they bring animals in the street, honk loudly, stop unexpectedly—basically, they do whatever they want. It’s a “free-for-all.” You use this expression when you have lost control of a situation. When little kids play soccer, it’s often a free-for-all: the kids just run around the field doing whatever they want, only loosely paying attention to the rules.