一分一厘

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 一分一厘 is read いちぶいちりん and refers even to the smallest amount or degree.
• Basic usage: It emphasizes not compromising at all or having no minute deviation from a design.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Negation comes from the sentence
  • In 一分一厘も曲げなかった, も combines with the following negative to emphasize not compromising in the slightest.
  • In 一分一厘の狂いもない, absence is expressed by ない. Do not treat the expression itself as inherently negative.
• Reading 分
  • The first part of this expression is read いちぶ. It does not refer to one minute of time.