Thick as Thieves

When I was growing up, my best friend was Marlene. We became friends in the third grade when we were about 10 years old. We hung around (spent free time) with each other all the time. In fact, we were practically (nearly) inseparable (seldom without the other).

You could say that we were “thick as thieves.” A thief is someone who steals things, and thick, in the 1700s, referred to two (or more) people who were close or who were working closely together. “Thick as thieves” was often used to describe two (or more) people who were conspiratorial. To conspire means to have a secret plan among a group of people, usually something to do something that is against the law or something bad.

But the way we use “thick as thieves” today doesn’t typically have a bad connotation (meaning). Thick as thieves is usually used to describe friends who are close and who share secrets with each other. Marlene and I were thick as thieves, telling each other things we would never tell anyone else (thank goodness!).

Today, thick is most often used to mean “not thin,” as in: “If your fishing line isn’t thick enough, it’ll break when you catch a fish.”

Sometimes, thick can be used as a shortened form of thickheaded, a way to describe someone not very intelligent or stupid, or has a difficult time understanding something. It’s an insult when used that way, of course.

Finally, “through thick and thin” means no matter what happens, even through very bad times. Some marriages survive (continue) through thick and thin — just not most Hollywood marriages.

~ Lucy

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13 Responses to Thick as Thieves

  1. Peter says:

    Hi Lucy
    How have you been ?
    Ur posts are always a breath of fresh air. I m talking about all the refreshment I get reading through ur posts ,and ur dialogs
    10 years riding with u guys
    Still get a big kick out of the dialogs. They never get old.
    I can’t get enough of them

    They are in fact my bed time compadre : a light read before going to sleep if u will.

    I see that in the post at hand u take the word ” thick ” and run with it.
    Well
    I like it when you guys line up a bunch of common expressions,chunks , or slangs for us to benefit rather learn.

    Well
    It is,in a sense, an open ending story. I mean u left us to us to guess what became of the friendship
    Over the years
    Are u still friends
    Or drifted apart

    I remember back -oh boy -in early days of eslpod
    U ran us a short story about ur friends visiting town from all across US to hang with u.
    Remember ?
    In the story , u go on and on about how life got in the way and u fell
    Out of touch.
    You were all excite to see what become of them

    Man
    Good old days

    I finally wore u out guys :))))
    I knew it would happen one day

    Well
    It is me
    The knuckle head

    🙂
    Pete

  2. Peter says:

    Helo world ,
    Today is a Saturday in my part of the world.:) I work on Saturdays. It is a bummer , I know. However ,it is not that bad because I work short hours. Still , I have the entire Saturday evening to myself which is generallg when the city pulls hits the Celling. It is my charming way of saying: in Saturday evenings ,downtown toronto buzzes with activities. early in the moroning ,though , all the rawdy party goers still sleeping Friday nights off :))
    See
    Itbis not a total loss!!

    Anyway
    I m walking to the bus station to catch the bus to the Subway.
    As I am walking , I m very mindful of my steps lest I don’t stomp on the snals who are enjoying themselves on the wetness of a patio road or side walks early in the mornings
    Have u ever noticed the massacre happens in wet early mornings while walking down a sidewalk. Man ,I metalling about all the stomped to death snals. It is a heart-tugged secne to me.

    If only people were more aware of their surroundings

    I am not judging
    I am just saying

    🙂
    Pete

  3. Tania says:

    Hi,

    Incredible meaning…thick as thieves.
    I just know the phrase “a thick material”.
    Or a yarn ( spun thread) with thin and thick places.
    Thank you.

    Best wishes,

    Tania

  4. Tania says:

    Hi,
    It’s Sunday and we celebrate the culture days of our city.
    I was at a symphonic concert and then at a
    pop rock music concert in the evening.
    It was a long day. Still I miss you all.

  5. Tania says:

    Hi,

    After many , many hot and very hot days,
    it is raining at last.
    We have a very hot summer with unusually temperatures
    like in many other countries.
    I couldn’t stay till the end of the rock concert as
    it was raining.

  6. Tania says:

    Hi,

    Very nice photo, dear Lucy.
    Thank you.

  7. Tania says:

    Hi,

    Spaghetti Westerns… new to me this old phrase.
    I have believed (I read in magazines) that all western movies were filmed in American deserts.
    At least those with John Wayne.
    Old and great movies for 60’s. In my country they are the movies from 70’s.
    I just remember of “A Fistful of Dollars”.
    Listening to the music from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
    I understood that I saw it.
    In fact I think that I saw many of the most famous western movies.
    I now understand how great actor and director is Clint Eastwood.
    Still charming at his age.

  8. Tania says:

    Hi,

    I like the music from these movies.
    The specific rhythm of a horse running, sensation of large space,
    freedom…

  9. Peter says:

    hello world ,

    This time around ,it is The US that is in the path of totality. I heard two or three cities in the US offer spectacular viewing. Well ,I hear ,two or three coties in the Us are in the band of totality but pretty much the whole country can enjoy the coveted scene.
    Well , what I don’t know is wether the upcoming eclipse can be viewed from Toronto or Canada at large.
    Presumably , It is highly unlikely. In particularly ,in a flat city like Toronto. That is right!!
    you heard me right !!
    you don’t see even a half a mile -high elevation throughout GTA (Greater Toronto Area)
    That is one of the reason why Toronto is always windy.

    Well , there is a range of relatively high hills two-hour-drive North of Toronto: a ski resort called blue montain. But ,blue mountain is even further north. If any thing ,I need to move south for a better viewing. U know , I have a good mind to rent out a car and drive all the way down to the US city that promises the best viewing.
    Well , honestly ,it is not just the viewing of the celestial phenomenon that is the drive behind my impulse to go down there but the festive ,fun -filled moments I will have there. Well, sure , watching the eclipse happening in real time put the whole experience over the top.

    Still ,the fact that the crowds from all across the country will throng the zip codes 🙂 to watch the natural phenomenon is all the more reason to be a part of the experience down there.

    U know , I bet the City municipalities in the band of totality are making a lot of preparation to make sure people will make good memories while attending the event.

    Besides , it is not like that it happens everyday that u can see the moon cross paths the sun right over ur head :))

    Talk about the tourist explosion there
    It is gonna be an outright fun 🙂

    Well
    I m not an eclipse chaser or anything. But the rarity that the celestial event happens in ur back yard
    Makes u itchy
    It is The itch that doesn’t go away not until u go watch the whole thing going down.
    U see what I mean

    Well ,first off I need to get a pair of polarized ,glare free sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection otherwise I will go blind looking directly at the sun.
    Good thing is NASA and American astronomical society has made a list of the most appropriate shades for the eclipse viewing on their website.
    It is very thoughtful of them. U know , checking the list eliminating a lot of guess work.
    There are instructions as how to observe the extraterrestrial event
    U know , silly me , I tend to go meander without the instructions

    🙂
    Pete

  10. Mary Carmen says:

    Hello!

    I’ve recently recalled an expression that i used to hear – also say – some years ago. The translation would be: “this is like Hollywood but smaller”. To be honest, I don’t exactly know the meaning of this sentence. I’ve googled it, but i didn’t find a clue, perhaps this expression is too local or – even worse for me- old-fashioned. I think it was said with a kind of irony, or maybe it meant something indescriptable. I don’t know if it was referred to the western film sets of Almería, who knows.

    The fact is that one day my cousin pointed at a hillside on the scenery and said: “look, it’s like Hollywood!” Indeed, the white letters of that Spanish town were written on a hill like in that town in the USA. It’s curious how i had never noticed that similarity before, although i’ve gone by there quite often.. Should i say the name of the town?, I am not sure. And one furher question: the sentence mentioning Hollywood did allude this Spanish town? It’s a mystery to me!

    Nothing more by the moment

    Bye
    Mary Carmen

  11. Tania says:

    Hi, Mary Carmen

    Always with new and interesting phrases.
    Thank you.

    Best wishes,

    Tania

  12. Tania says:

    Hi, Peter

    It was a partial lunar eclipse on 7/8 August, 2017 with a good viewing
    and in my country.
    I know nothing about the total solar eclipse, great American eclipse,
    on August 21, that will be visible all across the U.S.A. from the West Coast
    to the East Coast and Canada, not in Europe.
    Maybe this is the reason for that I have nothing seen on TV news.
    Thanks to you I have read on Google about this total solar eclipse,
    understanding your post.
    You have a funny and attractive way of sharing with us news from Canada.
    I appreciate you very much.

  13. Mary Carmen says:

    Thank you Tania, it’s been a pleasure.

    Best wishes to you too,

    Mari Carmen

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