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how long is a piece of string
01
used to say that it is impossible to answer a question concerning the size, length, or amount of something
Dialect
British
British
Humorous
Idiom
Informal
What is the origin of the idiom "how long is a piece of string" and when to use it?
The phrase "how long is a piece of string" is a humorous idiom used to highlight the vagueness or impossibility of providing a precise answer to a question. The origin of this expression is not precisely documented, but it likely developed as a playful way of emphasizing the difficulty in measuring or determining something that lacks clear parameters.
Examples
How long will the renovation take? How long is a piece of string?
