2007-01-25 22:56:45 · 11 answers · asked by See it as 3 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Jokes & Riddles
The whole point of the saying is to reply to someone who asks a pointless question which cannot be answered, for example "How many stars in the sky? who knows, "how long is a piece of string"?, or "How many fish in the sea"? I dunno, how long is a piece of string? . In other words both the question and answer are meaningless. Where did the saying "How long is a piece of string come from"? I don`t know, how long is a piece of string?
2007-01-25 23:33:07 · answer #1 · answered by Spanner 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Intrinsically a piece of string has length but that length is unknown hence the the phrase 'how long is a piece of string' means that the quantitative answer is not known and there is an implicate understanding that the answer will be difficult to find given the information available.
When I was a child in the 1950's, and the phrase was common then, If some one said 'How long is a piece of string?' we would answer ' No, How Long is a chinaman!'
2007-01-25 23:04:17 · answer #2 · answered by quatt47 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A piece of string is twice as long as a piece of string folded in half....think it really was old English similar to the measurement of horses which still is in hands. The piece of string as I remember was the span of your outstretched arms.
2007-01-25 23:02:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A piece of string is as long or short as you want it to be.
No idea who said it first.
2007-01-25 23:24:32 · answer #4 · answered by funnelweb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi I've been told the length of a piece of string is twice the length from the middle to the end! It came from the roots and grew! if you catch my drift.............hope you find your answer.
2007-01-25 23:02:52 · answer #5 · answered by Hayley-May 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Saddam Husein
2007-01-26 00:57:42 · answer #6 · answered by neilhollydood 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Twice as long from it's middle to its end.
The saying means no idea how long it'll be/take
2007-01-25 23:27:42 · answer #7 · answered by PhoenixRights 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
However short u cut it?
2007-01-25 23:02:18 · answer #8 · answered by sarah 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as long as you want it to be
2007-01-25 23:00:59 · answer #9 · answered by glamour04111 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How deep is a hole??
2007-01-25 23:01:29 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋