/ˈθɪk əz ˈθiːvz/
English idiom, informal. Two people who are very close friends.
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How do people use Thick as thieves
?
Informal, used about two or a few people who are very close and share secrets: “Those two are thick as thieves.” It often goes with “as” at the front, and it can hint that the friends are up to something together.
Also said as thick as thieves, as thick as two thieves
Thick as thieves
in real sentences
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We were thick as thieves.
Tatoeba, sentence by Nuel, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Thick as thieves
come from?
“Thick” has meant close or intimate in English since the 18th century, and the thieves are simply partners who stick together. Phrase Finder’s earliest example is “thick as two thieves” in a letter dated March 1827, printed in London’s Morning Chronicle in February 1828, as English Wiktionary reports.
Mistakes learners make with Thick as thieves
Learners read “thick” as stupid (as in “thick as a brick”). Here “thick” is an old word for close or intimate, so it’s a compliment to the friendship.
Other English idioms like Thick as thieves
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