Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

give them an inch and they'll take an ell

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.97 in modern English

Syllables: give them an inch and they'l-l -take an ell
IPA

57

Scrabble Score

32

Letters

3

Syllables

14

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

Archaic form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

Archaic

Example Sentences

"I will yet thrive, (I say), as good is an ynch / As an ell. Yee can, (quoth shee), make it so well, / For when I gave you an inch, you tooke an ell, / Till both ell and inch be gone, and we in det."

Usage

Archaic

Questions

What does give them an inch and they'll take an ell mean?: Archaic form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

How to pronounce give them an inch and they'll take an ell

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