the.com/walkover
Victory handed to you because the other guy didn't bother showing up.
means An easy, uncontested win — a contest decided not by effort but by the other side's absence or default.
from From horse racing in the early-to-mid 1800s: when only one horse was entered (or rivals withdrew), it still had to officially cover the course, so it simply 'walked over' the track at a stroll to claim the prize. The term later cantered into general use for any victory won without real contest.
- origin
- from 19th-century horse racing with one entrant
- etymology
- literally walked over the course to win
- sports use
- opponent forfeits due to injury or withdrawal
- figurative sense
- any effortless, one-sided triumph