thick end of the stick, the —(also: short end of the stick, the) the disadvantage in a bargain, contest, etc.:
- Don’t be cocky: producers always hold the thick end of the stick and you should know that.
thin end of the wedge, the—(also: small end of the wedge, the) a modest beginning which may lead to smth. greater:
- It is the thin end of the wedge—they will contaminate our agriculture and that contamination will self-perpetuate as time goes on.