Darken someone’s door/doorstep

Origin of: Darken someone’s door/doorstep

Darken someone’s door/doorstep

To darken someone’s door or step is to be an unwelcome or unwanted visitor. It is usually expressed in the negative e.g. “Never darken my door/doorstep again.” The expression is first attested from the early 18th century and uses the figurative meaning of darken, as in to cast a gloom or shadow over, which dates from the mid-1500s.