The phrase “through thick and thin” dates back to Anglo-Saxon England when people traveled through forests. It became a popular idiom in the 1300s and is now used metaphorically to describe perseverance through hardships.
The phrase “through thick and thin” is one of the oldest recorded idioms in the English language, dating back to at least the 10th century when it appeared in the Exeter Book, a collection of poems from Anglo-Saxon England. People use this idiom when they want to describe overcoming an obstacle or sticking with something to the end. One could say, for example, “they stuck with the project through thick and thin, knowing there would eventually be a payoff.”
To understand the origins of this language it is necessary to know a little about the history of the English landscape. For much of England’s history, the island was largely wooded and animals grazed on what was known as ‘wood pasture’. The English countryside was covered in forest of varying density, interspersed with pasture, making it noticeably different from its present appearance. England was heavily deforested between the 12th and 16th centuries when trees were harvested in large numbers to build houses and ships. Much of Western Europe, in fact, was stripped of trees during this historical period.
In the time when England was forested, people could take footpaths and roads to reach their destinations, but many continued “through thickets and thin woods”, making trips across the country to travel more quickly. “Through thick and thin” is a clear shortening of “through thick and thin wood” and in the 1300s most people were using this phrase thanks to Chaucer, who included the idiom in one of his works.
The idea of woodland played an important part in English literature throughout the 20th century. Tolkien, for example, has the heroes in The Lord of the Rings go through thickets and thin woods to avoid traveling along main roads and to significantly reduce travel time. As evidenced in this famous trilogy, traversing thickets and thin woods could also be dangerous without expert guidance and a good sense of direction, as the forested regions could become very confusing for people unfamiliar with them.
When used metaphorically, rather than literally, the “thick” part of this idiom is meant to reflect hardships, while the “thin” part encompasses the easier parts of life. Many people view the ability to persist through thick and thin as a positive personality trait, reflecting commitment and determination, as opposed to a tendency to give up when the going gets tough.
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