得寸进尺
- Literal
- to gain an inch and press on for a foot
- Figurative
- To trade on what you've been given: the moment someone yields a little, you come back for more. There is always someone who gave ground first, which is why it is said reproachfully: give them an inch and they take a mile.
Where does 得寸进尺 come from?
The phrase comes from a piece of strategic advice recorded in 《战国策·秦策三》. Fan Ju talks King Zhaoxiang of Qin out of attacking distant Qi across somebody else's territory: land won that way cannot be held. Better to "befriend those far off and attack those close by," because with a neighbor "every 寸 the king gains will be his, and every 尺 will be his too." The 寸 is the Chinese inch and the 尺 the foot, worth ten 寸: there the pair of measures pictured a safe advance, span by span. In time the formula turned into a reproach: whoever wins the small measure is already after the one ten times bigger, and does not know when to stop.
Source (出处): 《战国策·秦策三》
How is 得寸进尺 used? Two examples
- 你别得寸进尺，我已经帮你很多了。
Don't push your luck — I've already helped you plenty.
- 房东涨了一次房租又想再涨，真是得寸进尺。
The landlord already raised the rent once and now wants to raise it again — there's no stopping him.
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