unit of measure

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 厘 is associated with a unit for a small amount; its on-reading is りん.
• Basic usage: 一分一厘 expresses the smallest degree, while 九分九厘 expresses a judgment that something is almost certain.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An expression with negation
  • 一分一厘も曲げなかった means not yielding in the slightest. も together with the negative form emphasizes the absence of even a tiny degree.
• Idiomatic confidence
  • 九分九厘 is read くぶくりん and means almost certainly. It expresses a judgment about weather or a plan, rather than presenting a calculated probability.