William Shakespeare and actor Thomas Swann have a disagreement. Can Bess the barmaid make Thomas see sense, or will he refuse to budge an inch? We explore the phrase not budge an inch and introduce some useful responses for when you are asked to do something you don’t want to do.
Listen to the programme
The Taming of the Shrew is one of William Shakespeare's earliest plays. It's often referred to as the battle of the sexes. Many people have criticised the way this play portrays women. But the story of the wild Katharina who is tamed by her husband has inspired many films and television shows, including the American movie '10 Things I Hate About You'.
Vocabulary
An inch is a unit of measurement equal to 2.54 centimeters.
- We had over 3 inches of snow at the weekend
- He budged over to let her sit down
- We couldn't get the door to budge
The phrase not budge an inch has a similar meaning to these phrases: stand your ground and dig your heels in.
- She stood her ground even though nobody agreed with her
- The owners dug their heels in and refused to sell their land
The phrase not budge an inch can be used with different modal verbs:
- I won't budge
- They mustn't budge an inch
- You shouldn't budge an inch
- She wouldn't budge an inch
- They refused to budge an inch
- She won't give an inch
shrew
the battle of the sexes:
the fight for power between men and women. E.g. So has equality brought an end to the battle of the sexes?
tame:
change something wild so that it is easier to control
stubborn:
describes a person who refuses to change their ideas or behaviour
strong-minded
not easily influenced by others. E.g. My mother was a very strong-minded woman who always got her own way.
headstrong
a headstrong person is determined to do things their own way and refuses to listen to advice. E.g. She is too wild and headstrong to be guided by me.
determined
if you are determined to do something, you have made a firm decision to do it and you will not let anyone prevent you. E.g. I'm determined to succeed.
be set on something/on doing something
to want to do or have something very much; to be determined to do something. Resolved to do something or strongly wishing for something. E.g. She is set on getting a role in the play. She’s set on a career in medicine. He’s set on getting a new car
set your heart on something, have your heart set on something
to be determined to do something. To want something very much. E.g. They’ve set their heart on a house in the country.
set your sights on something/on doing something
to decide that you want something and to try very hard to get it. To have as a goal. E.g. she's set her sights on getting into Harvard. I had set my sights on a career in journalism. She set her sights on medical school.
stand your ground
refuse to change your opinion or behaviour, even when other people disagree with you. E.g. Don't let him persuade you—stand your ground.
dig your heels in
dig, dug, dug
refuse to change your ideas or behaviour. E.g. They dug in their heels and would not lower the price.
back down
back down from something
back down on something
to take back a demand, an opinion, etc. that other people are strongly opposed to; to admit defeat or admit that you are wrong. E.g. She refused to back down on a point of principle.She refused to back down on a point of principle. Eventually, Roberto backed down and apologized. Local residents have forced the local council to back down from/on its plans to build a nightclub on their street
No way!
Definitely not! E.g. ‘Do you want to help?’ ‘No way!’ No way am I going to drive them there.
not even if you paid me!
I would never do that, even if you gave me a lot of money. E.g. Not even if you paid me!! Too much noise!! Worst week EVER!!
it's out of the question
it's impossible; I won't let it happen. E.g. Another trip abroad this year is out of the question.
never in a million years
absolutely never. E.g. I'd never have thought of that in a million years. Never in a million years did I believe we could win the lottery.
oh go on then
I agree to do or allow something that I didn't want to do before. E.g. Oh, go on, then, tell her.
I suppose so
I agree to something that I am not certain or happy about. E.g.
- "Can I go to the party, Dad?"
"I suppose so. But you'd better be home by 10 o'clock, OK?" - "We have to invite Rupert, don't we?"
"I suppose so, but I hope he doesn't come. He's such a horrible little man."
(come) hell or high water
willy-nilly
whether you want to or not. E.g. She was forced willy-nilly to accept the company's proposals.
How do you feel when you are asked to do something you don't want to do? Do you refuse to budge
an inch or do you back down and agree?
Transcript
Vocabulary
have somebody’s guts for garters (British English, informal) to be very angry with somebody and punish them severely for something they have done. E.g. She’ll have your guts for garters if she ever finds out.
garter: a band, usually made of elastic, that is worn around the leg to keep up a sock or stocking. Sp. liga.
fetch: to go to where somebody/something is and bring them/it back. E.g. to fetch help/a doctor. The inhabitants have to walk a mile to fetch water. She's gone to fetch the kids from school.
third-borough: /ˈbʌrə/ an under constable (police officer)
bang/knock your/their heads together (informal) to force people to stop arguing and behave in a sensible way. E.g. stop arguing you two or I'll knock your heads together.
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