They argue more now because familiarity breeds contempt.
familiarity breeds contempt
idiomThe better you know someone the less you like him
Origin
first recorded 14th c.From Aesop's fable 'The Fox and the Lion'; the Latin maxim appears in Publilius Syrus, and Chaucer used it in the Tale of Melibee (c. 1386).
After living together for three years, they started to notice every small habit, proving that familiarity breeds contempt.
The manager worried that spending too much time with his staff would cause familiarity to breed contempt and weaken his authority.
Last updated June 7, 2026