English

look out for number one

To act in one's own interests; to act in a manner advantageous primarily to oneself.

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    Origin

    From look out for + number one (“oneself”). Attested since the 1830s at the latest.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • derivedEnglishlook “As an intransitive verb, often with “at”.”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishloken
        • inheritedOld Englishlōcian “to look”

    Sources