Cliché: give them an inch and they'll take a mile

Meaning: people will take advantage of your generosity. Use examples.
Rewrite 1: give them a hand and they’ll take an arm
Rewrite 2: give them a dime and they’ll take a dollar
Rewrite 3: give them what little you have and they’ll take the rest, too
Rewrite 4: for some, a dime in your hand is worth two in their pocket

Comment: The last rewrite is another way of looking at rewrite 2. It’s also kind of a retake on “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” although not a literal rewrite of it.

More reading about clichés
What I found when I googled “clichés”:
• GetAmused: “A Funny List of Movie Clichés.”

Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.

Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.