camel's nose
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈkeɪməlz noʊz/
- Informal
:
nariz de camello
- It was the crack in the door, the camel's nose under the tent that would allow capitalism to wash away the inefficient central government.
- camel's nose under the tent
Examples
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Meanwhile, more sophisticated ideologues understand that they are supporting a camel's-nose strategy.
Academic text (2010) -
The Patriot Act was the camel's nose under the tent.
Blog text (1) -
Many believe that allowing small changes in policy is just the camel's nose under the tent for more drastic reforms.
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The company's new security measure is viewed by some as the camel's nose under the tent, leading to greater invasions of privacy.
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Critics argue that the initial tax cuts are merely the camel's nose under the tent, paving the way for future reductions in public services.
Antonyms
How Risky
Surface Forms
Morphology
camel's + nose
The phrase evokes a concrete image (a camel's nose as a small initial intrusion) so there is a visible metaphorical link between the constituents and the idea of a small beginning leading to a larger incursion. However, the specific pragmatic sense — that a minor concession will allow progressively larger unwanted demands — is proverbially conventional and requires cultural/figurative knowledge beyond literal word meanings, so it is not fully predictable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Camel's nose comes from a simple picture: if you let the camel's nose into a tent, the camel will soon push its whole body inside. So it means a small 'permission' or 'step' that leads to bigger, unwanted demands.