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This phrase is used when someone asks a question that is impossible to answer. It usually happens because they did not give you enough details. For example, if someone asks how much a holiday costs, you cannot give a single price. The cost depends completely on where they go.
The saying comes from old time shops. People used to buy household items like string or ribbon cut to order from a large roll. If a customer simply asked for "a piece of string," the shopkeeper could not cut it without knowing the exact length needed.
The saying comes from old time shops. People used to buy household items like string or ribbon cut to order from a large roll. If a customer simply asked for "a piece of string," the shopkeeper could not cut it without knowing the exact length needed.
I asked how much it would cost to make my kitchen nicer and people kept telling me how long is a piece of string?