proverb · Words worth keeping
As thick as thieves.
As thick as thieves.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The phrase compares close companions with thieves acting together. It describes strong familiarity or a shared confidence.
What the words are saying
Thieves supplies an idiomatic image rather than an accusation. A useful explanation recognises closeness without inferring criminal conduct, identical opinions or unquestioning loyalty. The supplied family comparison illustrates the strength of connection, not a requirement for friendship.
Everyday example
A reader recognises that two characters are close without taking the phrase as evidence of wrongdoing.
When to use it
Use it to explain emphatic closeness without a literal accusation.
What it does not mean
No criminal conduct, family status or obligation to agree is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 687; PDF page 99
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.