0 If you look at someone or speak to someone de haut en bas, you do it in a way that shows you think you are superior to them. De haut en bas is French for "from high to low":
They treat their subject de haut en bas, preferring to look down upon him rather than to look up to him.
But it was rather a de haut en bas politeness; she exercised it also toward her footman.
Her talk was affluent, magisterial, de haut en bas, some would say euphuistic, but surpassing the talk of women in breadth and audacity.
