to stretch a point
Preserved but no longer current.
To exceed what is strictly right. There may be an allusion here to the tagged laces called points, formerly used in costume; to "truss a point" was to tie the laces which held the breeches; to "stretch a point" to stretch these laces, so as to adjust the dress to extra growth, or the temporary full- ness of good feeding.
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 “to stretch a point” mean?
To exceed what is strictly right. There may be an allusion here to the tagged laces called points, formerly used in costume; to "truss a point" was to tie the laces which held the breeches; to "stretch a point" to stretch these laces, so as to adjust the dress to extra growth, or the temporary full- ness of good feeding.
Is “to stretch a point” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.