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Where does the idiom give him an inch and he will take a mile come from?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
It is not an idiom - it means what it seems to mean. This is a very old proverb (already considered old in the 1500's!). It comes from the fact that some people are greedy. If you give them an inch of something, they'll want even more.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
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How did march of dimes get its name?
Some one would sponsor the person marching and give them a dime for every mile they walked or something similar.The march of dimes in a charity that helps improve health of babies.
What event caused the United States to slow H construction of nuclear power plants in the 1980s?
The Three Mile Island accident in 1979
Who can run the fastest?
the fastest mile is 3:43
Where is the Location of 1979 nuclear accident in the US take place?
Three Mile Island The accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania occurred on March 28, 1979.
When hawkeye and the warriors were hunting the Huron Indians which route did they follow?
they went along the bed of a stream for a mile.
What does the phrase give him an inch and he'll take a mile mean?
The phrase give him an inch and he'll take a mile is a very popular phrase. This means that if you give him a little bit of freedom he'll take you for everything you've got.
What does this idiom mean 'give him an inch and he'll take a mile'?
This is not an idiom - it means just what it seems to mean - but is a proverb, or old saying.If you let someone behave poorly, they will behave very poorly. If you let up on a rule ever so slightly, those who usually follow the rule will throw it out all together.Make a small concession and they'll take advantage of you. For example, I told her she could borrow the car for one day and she's been gone a week--give an inch! This expression, in slightly different form, was already a proverb in John Heywood's 1546 collection, "Give him an inch and he'll take an ell," and is so well known it is often shortened (as in the example). The use of mile dates from about 1900.(Proverb) Be generous to someone and the person will demand even more. (Describes someone who will take advantage of you if you are even a little kind to him or her.)"If you let Mark borrow your tools for this weekend, he'll wind up keeping them for years. Give him an inch and he'll take a mile."
What is the origin for the idiom 'go the extra mile'?
Just what you think - it's a figurative traveling idiom. You're "going" more than you might, as if you were traveling an extra mile.
How many mile in a inch?
1.57828283 × 10-5 miles in an inch
How many mile are in a inch?
There are no miles in an inch however there are 63,360 inches in a mile
What is bigger a mile or a inch?
A mile is 63,360 times greater than an inch.
What does the idiom talk a mile in a minute mean?
To talk fast.
What size is an inch compared with a mile?
One inch = 0.0000157828 mile (rounded) One mile = 63,360 inches
Is a mile bigger than an inch?
One mile is equal to 63,360 inches, so yes, a mile is bigger than an inch.
Order of largest to smallest foot mile yard inch?
inch, foot, yard, mile
What is more precise yard inch foot or mile?
In order of magnitude: inch, foot, yard and mile
What is the order from least greatest inch centimeter yard kilometer mile?
centimeter, inch, yard, kilometer, mile.
