give someone an inch and they'll take a mile

If you say give someone an inch and they'll take a mile, you mean that if you do a small favour for someone, they will become greedy and ask you to do bigger and bigger favours for them and make you regret doing the first favour. Be tough and uncompromising — if you give colleagues an inch, they will take a mile. Note: Sometimes people just say give them an inch, or use another word instead of `mile'. You know what kids are like. Give them an inch. The problem with him was that if you gave him an inch he'd take six.

See also: and, give, inch, mile, someone, take

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

See also:

accompany (one) on a/(one's) journey
accompany on a journey
a stranger to (someone or something)
be out of (one's) league
be out of somebody's league
be in bad with (someone)
(one) puts (one's) pants on one leg at a time
bargain
bargain for (someone or something) with (someone)
brief (someone) about (someone or something)

词组	give someone an inch and they'll take a mile
释义	give someone an inch and they'll take a mile give someone an inch and they'll take a mile If you say give someone an inch and they'll take a mile, you mean that if you do a small favour for someone, they will become greedy and ask you to do bigger and bigger favours for them and make you regret doing the first favour. Be tough and uncompromising — if you give colleagues an inch, they will take a mile. Note: Sometimes people just say give them an inch, or use another word instead of `mile'. You know what kids are like. Give them an inch. The problem with him was that if you gave him an inch he'd take six. See also: and, give, inch, mile, someone, take Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. See also: accompany (one) on a/(one's) journey accompany on a journey a stranger to (someone or something) be out of (one's) league be out of somebody's league be in bad with (someone) (one) puts (one's) pants on one leg at a time bargain bargain for (someone or something) with (someone) brief (someone) about (someone or something)
随便看	dullsville dull the edge of dull the edge of (something) duly noted dum dumb dumb as a post dumbass dumb-ass dumbbell dumb bunny dumb cluck dumb-dodo dumb Dora dumb down dumb down, to dumb-dumb dumber come to somebody's knowledge come to (someone's) aid come to (someone's) rescue come to such a pass come to terms come to terms with come to terms with (someone or something)