student asking question

Why "of all" is used not "all of"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The phrase "of all' is used in phrases to express surprise, disapproval, anger, etc about a person, place or situation. It is not the same as "all of" which simply means the entire amount of something. Ex: Who should I meet in New York but Max of all people! Ex: Of all the people in New York, who should I run into but Max! Ex: Of all the luck—I just broke a nail! Ex: And why did you choose Iceland for a holiday, of all places?

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