possession is nine points of the law
Actually holding something is better than merely claiming it. For example, When Karen told John he must return the sofa he'd borrowed, he said possession is nine points of the law. This term originally alluded to nine elements that would aid someone's lawsuit, among them a good lawyer, good witnesses, a good jury, a good judge, and good luck. In time, however, the term was used more for squatter's rights. [Late 1500s]
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Nearby words
possessed, possessed by, possessed, the, possessedly, possession, possession is nine points of the law, possession order, possessive, possessive adjective, possessive pronoun, possessor
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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