3 ms·

Arm's length here means close in his/her original statement.

• untog 10y ago
  That's not what "arm's length" typically means. Of course, OP might not be a native English speaker.
  • Alterlife 10y ago
    'at arms length' vs 'within arms reach'. The phrases are similar, but different. It's an easy mistake to make.
  • logfromblammo 10y ago
    "At arm's length" means that the two parties are impersonal business acquaintances. They treat each other just like they would treat anyone else with the same amount of goods to sell or money to spend. When you sell a car to your nephew for $1, that is not an "arm's length" trade. In some situations, a trade that is not "at arm's length" may be taxed on an independently assessed value, rather than the actual purchase price. In most places in the US, arm's length is literally the distance you stand from someone when closing a business deal. You can't shake hands from further away, and you can't hug each other without getting closer. OP might have meant something along the lines of "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Or you can't be heard if you aren't even there to speak. I'm not sure if there's another idiom that would be more precise without also being less concise, but "arm's length" is probably not the best phrasing.
  • jrnichols 10y ago
    I am, and that is exactly what I meant, even if some disagree on the phrasing. (Sorry, I wasn't an English Lit major.) Keep your friends close and enemies closer. Arm's length is close enough to reach them but still far enough away. That's where I think the tech industry needs to keep Trump and stand firm. Otherwise, they're completely on the outside, which I don't think helps.