Meanings
- Northern EnglandScotlandA lot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount.First known use 1793
People are often ruined before they are aware of the danger, by buying everything they think they want, without adverting to a Scotch adage—than which nothing in nature is more true—"that many mickles make a muckle."
1793 April 21, George Washington; Worthington Chauncey Ford, compiler and editor, “Letters to Anthony Whiting, 1793”, in The Writings of George Washington, volumes XII (1790–1794), New York, N.Y.; London: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam’s Sons, the Knickerbocker Press, published 1891, →OCLC, page 382Synonyms: every little helps, little and often fills the purse, many a little makes a mickle, many a pickle makes a mickle, take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbA lot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount.
Translations
Danish mange bække små gør en stor å
- mange bække små gør en stor ålot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Dutch vele kleintjes maken een grote, elke dag een draadje is een hemdsmouw in het jaar
- vele kleintjes maken een grotelot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
- elke dag een draadje is een hemdsmouw in het jaarlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Finnish pienistä puroista syntyy suuri joki
- pienistä puroista syntyy suuri jokilot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
French les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières, petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid
- les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivièreslot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
- petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nidlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
German Kleinvieh macht auch Mist, steter Tropfen höhlt den Stein
- Kleinvieh macht auch Mistlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
- steter Tropfen höhlt den Steinlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Hungarian sok kicsi sokra megy
- sok kicsi sokra megylot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Icelandic margt smátt gerir eitt stórt
- margt smátt gerir eitt stórtlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Irish bailíonn brobh beart
- bailíonn brobh beartlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Japanese 塵も積もれば山となる
- 塵も積もれば山となる (chiri-mo tsumoreba yama-to naru)lot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Korean 티끌 모아 태산, 백지장도 맞들면 낫다
- 티끌 모아 태산 (tikkeul moa taesan)lot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
- 백지장도 맞들면 낫다 (baekjijangdo matdeulmyeon natda)lot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Malay sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit, sehari selembar benang, lama-lama menjadi kain
- sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukitlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
- sehari selembar benang, lama-lama menjadi kainlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Polish ziarnko do ziarnka, a zbierze się miarka
- ziarnko do ziarnka, a zbierze się miarkalot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Portuguese grão a grão enche a galinha o papo
- grão a grão enche a galinha o papolot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Russian с миру по нитке – голому руба́ха
- с миру по нитке – голому руба́хаlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Spanish muchos pocos hacen un mucho
- muchos pocos hacen un mucholot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Swedish många bäckar små gör en stor å
- många bäckar små gör en stor ålot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Turkish damlaya damlaya göl olur
- damlaya damlaya göl olurlot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Ukrainian крапля камінь точить.
- крапля камінь точить. (kraplja kaminʹ točytʹ.)lot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Vietnamese góp gió thành bão, tích tiểu thành đại
- góp gió thành bãolot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
- tích tiểu thành đạilot of small amounts, put together, become a large amount
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with many a mickle makes a muckle
Cite this entry
many a mickle makes a muckle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/many%20a%20mickle%20makes%20a%20muckle
“many a mickle makes a muckle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/many%20a%20mickle%20makes%20a%20muckle. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “many a mickle makes a muckle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/many%20a%20mickle%20makes%20a%20muckle.
Source: many a mickle makes a muckle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.