phr. Also thick or thin, (neither) thick nor thin.
Cf., for the mere collocation, a. 1000 O. E. Riddles, xli. 36. Eal ic under heofones hwearfte recce … þicce and þynne.
A. as sb.
1. Phr. Through thick and thin († in thick and thin): through everything that is in the way; without regard to or in spite of obstacles or difficulties; under any circumstances. lit. and fig. (app. orig. with reference to ‘thicket and thin wood.’)
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 146. The hors … gynneth gon … Forth with wehee, thurgh thikke and thurgh thenne [v.r. thurgh thikke and thenne].
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 22682. A smale posterne I may pace, And, thorough thykke and thynne trace.
c. 1450. J. Metham, Wks., 41/1101. Forth yn thyk and thyn He gan lepe.
1543. Grafton, Contn. Harding, 544. Kyng Richard … purposed to goo thorow thicke and thinne in this mater.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. i. 17. His tyreling Jade he fiersly forth did push Through thicke and thin, both over banck and bush.
1627. Drayton, Mooncalf, 1317. And tag and rag through thick and thin came running.
1681. Dryden, Span. Friar, V. ii. A thorough-paced liar, that will swear through thick and thin.
1782. Cowper, Gilpin, 40. Six precious souls, and all agog To dash through thick and thin.
1894. Hall Caine, Manxman, V. vi. There ’s five hundred men here to back you up through thick and thin.
2. sb. Adherence to some course, principle, or party, under all circumstances. b. attrib. or adj. (usually hyphened): That adheres or is ready to follow in all circumstances; constant, steadfast, unwavering. c. Hence thick-and-thinnite (nonce-wd.), one who supports a ‘thick-and-thin’ or resolute policy regardless of consequences. (Political and journalistic slang.)
1884. Pall Mall G., 14 Feb., 1/1. He would have been denounced as a traitor by the hidebound partisans of thick and thin.
1886. J. Payn, Heir of Ages, xxxv. It would have been difficult to find a more thick-and-thin admirer of its excellences.
1890. Spectator, 18 Oct., 515/2. In his thick-and-thin advocacy of the democratic policy.
1898. Dr. Farquharson, Sp. Ho. Com., 9 May. [On these matters he was a] thick and thin-ite.
1900. A. J. Balfour, Sp. Manchester, 9. Jan. I felt as if I was before this speech tarred with the brush of being a ‘thick-and-thinnite.’
1900. Westm. Gaz., 11 Jan., 2/2. There does not exist a thick-and-thinner party man than Mr. Balfour.
† B. as adv. Either thick or thin: in any case, under any circumstances; neither thick nor thin, in no circumstances. Obs. rare.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, e vij b. Thyk nor thynne [see GARGILON].
1546. St. Papers Hen. VIII., XI. 254. The Dolphyn spared not, thyck nor thynne.
C. as adj. 1. Naut. Of a tackle-block: Having one sheave larger than the other; cf. FIDDLE-block.
1815. Burney, Falconer’s Dict. Marine, s.v. Block, Thick and thin, or, Quarter Block, is a double block with one sheave thicker than the other, and is used to lead down the topsail-sheets and clew-lines.
1841. Dana, Seaman’s Man., Gloss., Thick-and-thin Block, a block having one sheave larger than the other. Sometimes used for quarter-blocks.
2. See A. 2 b.
