all-too-familiar
Meaning
Used to describe something that is known or recognized very well, often in a way that is negative, boring, or unwelcome.
Structure
Usage
The politician's excuses had an all-too-familiar ring to them.
We are facing the all-too-familiar problem of budget cuts.
Her story follows an all-too-familiar pattern of struggle and resilience.
Etymology
The compound adjective 'all-too-familiar' is a modern English construction that intensifies the common word 'familiar'. Its logic is syntactical and emphatic, built from native Germanic elements: 'all' (complete) and 'too' (excessively) combine to form an adverbial phrase 'all too', which has been used since the 16th century to mean 'very much so, regrettably'. This phrase modifies 'familiar', a word of Latin origin (from familia, 'household') meaning intimately known. The entire phrase thus literally means 'excessively and completely well-known', evolving to convey a sense of weariness or negative recognition towards something encountered too often.
Analysis
all: Old English; a quantifier meaning 'the whole amount or extent'. too: Old English; an adverb meaning 'more than is desirable or permissible; excessively'. familiar: Latin; an adjective meaning 'well known from long or close association'.