not a hundred mites off
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An indirect way of saying in this very neighbourhood, or very spot. The phrase is employed when it would be in- discreet or dangerous to refer more directly to the person or place hinted at.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “not a hundred mites off” mean?
An indirect way of saying in this very neighbourhood, or very spot. The phrase is employed when it would be in- discreet or dangerous to refer more directly to the person or place hinted at.
Is “not a hundred mites off” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.