# Many a little makes a mickle. Savvy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 21, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117 "2012-08-21T01:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/1 "2012-08-21T01:06:08Z")
One of the unexpected pleasures of studying a foreign language is foraging up new phrases in one’s main language to squirrel away for future use. While studying this idiom in Japanese, 塵も積もれば山となる　（Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru), I found the expression: “Many a little makes a mickle.” I was immediately tickled pink by this phrase. It’s a bit twee, but in a charmingly fun way. Unfortunately, I had no idea what it meant. I looked it [here](http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle.html) and found out it means “Many small amounts accumulate to make a large amount.” Neat. As an aside note, if I had verified my understanding of the Japanese kanji first, I could have easily figured that out on my own. Knowing kanji is like having an extensive knowledge of word roots in English, in that even if one doesn’t know a particular word, one can often get the general meaning. The more I study kanji, the more I’m actually beginning to like them. Especially the funky-looking ones like 甕 or the interesting ones like 襲う. But I digress dangerously… In conclusion, I was wondering how many people knew this phrase. I wasn’t surprised to find it was UK-centric, but apparently it has passed out of usage largely on that side of the pond as well. What a shame! This is such a fun phrase. Many a little makes a mickle! Many a little makes a mickle! Many a little makes a mickle! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/2 "2012-08-21T01:16:18Z")
Strč prst skrz krk. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/3 "2012-08-21T01:16:46Z")
I’ve heard it as “many a mickle makes a muckle.” ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/4 "2012-08-21T01:28:43Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > I’ve heard it as “many a mickle makes a muckle.” Yes, that is what the expression is; also one does not “get” the cut of someone’s jib, one likes or dislikes it. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/5 "2012-08-21T01:28:45Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > I’ve heard it as “many a mickle makes a muckle.” Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/6 "2012-08-21T02:17:39Z")
I know “mickle” from [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zx9JA2DOow) mediaeval Christmas carol. Not sure if any standard English speaker has used it in the last couple of centuries though. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/7 "2012-08-21T03:04:50Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > I’ve heard it as “many a mickle makes a muckle.” Or even many a mickle maks a muckle. I learned it from Flanders & Swann. ETA: it appears in Hesiod, as “Put a little upon a little, and, in time, this will grow to be much.” ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/8 "2012-08-21T03:17:25Z")
Many mickle maks a muckle. My granddad used to say it when he paid us cousins in dimes to pick up pinecones from his (giant-ass) yard so he could make (giant-ass) bonfires out of them. I knew what it meant, and always thought it was just some weird scots-irish saying. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/9 "2012-08-21T04:22:38Z")
Does anybody remember if Lewis Carroll parodied this phrase in one of his Alice books, which was later remarked upon by Martin Gardner in The Annotated Alice? I’m sure I remember reading some mention of this in The Annotated Alice, but I can’t find anything on it now. Has someone else seen this? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/10 "2012-08-21T07:27:52Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > I’ve heard it as “many a mickle makes a muckle.” Pop quiz, hotshots. How many mickles are there in a muckle? The answer may surprise you. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/11 "2012-08-21T07:32:31Z")
Oh, I know I know! I though as the OP it would be more fun to have somebody else post it. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/12 "2012-08-21T09:42:02Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > Many mickle maks a muckle. So, where there’s muckles, there’s brass 😉 Si ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/13 "2012-08-21T09:45:21Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > So, where there’s muckles, there’s brass 😉 > > Si [Yorkshire Accent]Nay, lad: where there’s muck there’s brass.[/YA] ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/14 "2012-08-21T10:06:21Z")
Mind t’whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/15 "2012-08-21T13:23:18Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Mind t’whoosh. He would have noticed t’were he _on Ilkla Moor Baht 'at_ among the many sins visited on me by my Yorkshire born mother, along with stilton cheese in a christmas mince pie Si ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/16 "2012-08-21T14:08:25Z")
I don’t recal where I first stumbled across _mickle_, but I recognized it when Tolkein used it in _Michel Delving_, a location in the Shire. Put into modern English, it means “Much Digging”, and obviously refers to a place with many Hobbit holes. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/17 "2012-08-21T14:36:35Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I don’t recal where I first stumbled across _mickle_, but I recognized it when Tolkein used it in _Michel Delving_, a location in the Shire. Put into modern English, it means “Much Digging”, and obviously refers to a place with many Hobbit holes. Or it could mean “Little Digging” - after all many a mickle (small amount) makes a muckle (large amount). Confusingly, though, there seem to be two expressions. My dictionary gives two, completely opposite, meanings for the noun “mickle”: > [@](#): > > **1:** a great amount, esp in the proverb _mony [sic] a little makes a mickle_. **2:** _Scottish_ a small amount, esp in the proverb _many a mickle maks [sic] a muckle_ :smack: I’ve certainly only ever come across the second version, which implies a mickle is a small amount. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/18 "2012-08-21T14:52:01Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Or it could mean “Little Digging” - after all many a mickle (small amount) makes a muckle (large amount). > > Confusingly, though, there seem to be two expressions. My dictionary gives two, completely opposite, meanings for the noun “mickle”: > :smack: > > I’ve certainly only ever come across the second version, which implies a mickle is a small amount. Or it could mean “a great amount”, as the dictionareies I’ve consulted show. > **[mickle](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mickle)** > > Definition, Synonyms, Translations of mickle by The Free Dictionary ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/19 "2012-08-21T23:05:50Z")
I read this as a proverb used on a War Stamp savings card in _All of a Kind Family Uptown_, by Sydney Taylor, which takes place in World War I. Another proverb on the card is “Great oaks from little acorns grow.” ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117/20 "2012-08-21T23:11:52Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > I read this as a proverb used on a War Stamp savings card in _All of a Kind Family Uptown_, by Sydney Taylor, which takes place in World War I. Another proverb on the card is “Great oaks from little acorns grow.” That must be where I read it! I knew I’d read it somewhere when I was a little kid, but I couldn’t work out where. I loved those books, though, so that could well be it. Never heard the mickle/muckle version. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/many-a-little-makes-a-mickle-savvy/632117.md?page=2)