take one's half out of the middle

动词 v.

英文释义

动词 v.
  1. To take the portion of something to which one is entitled, but in such a way that it shortchanges others.
    — A boy once complained of his brother for taking half of the bed. "And why not?" said his mother, "he is entitled to half, aint^([sic]) he?"—"Yes, ma'am," said the boy; "but how should you like to have him take out all the soft for his half? He will have his half out of the middle, and I have to sleep on both sides of him."

词形变化

takes one's half out of the middle present,singular,third-person taking one's half out of the middle participle,present took one's half out of the middle past taken one's half out of the middle participle,past

词源

Referring to a scenario where one is entitled to half of something (e.g. half a cheese-wheel, half a cake, half a bed, or half of the width of a road for driving) but one takes one's half from the middle instead of one side, leaving the other person with a less desirable half (of the cheese-wheel or cake) consisting of crust or rind, or an unusable "half" (of the bed or road) made up of two separate pieces on either side.
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