give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“If you give him an inch, he will take a mile.”
“I let my assistant leave early once, but then he started arriving late every day; you give someone an inch and they will take a mile.”
“Management initially offered a small compromise to the protesters, but they soon realized that when you give someone an inch and they take a mile, firm boundaries become necessary.”
- 01
as if someone owns the place
Alternative form of like someone owns the place.
- 02
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 03
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 04
bless someone with
To give or bestow, as a gift from God.
- 05
bring someone to their knees
To defeat and make submit to orders.
- 06
call someone every name in the book
To call someone many abusive names.
- 07
call someone everything but a child of God
To call someone many abusive names.
- 08
catch someone napping
To take advantage of someone's inattention.
Last updated August 10, 2026