camel's nose

Foot-in-door tactic

Camel's nose refers to a small, seemingly harmless act that leads to much larger intrusions—from the fable of the camel who asks only to warm his nose in the tent, then gradually pushes his whole body inside.

The phrase typically appears as the camel's nose under the tent or in the tent, warning that a minor concession will invite escalating demands: Once you let the camel's nose in, the whole camel follows.

idiom

proverb

Traditional saying expressing truth

metaphorImplied identity comparison
fableMoral tale with animals
parableInstructive allegorical narrative

adage · cautionary · warning · foreshadowing · harbinger · ominous · tent · folktale · moral · saying

slippery slope

escalation

Progressive increase in intensity

domino effectSequential causation phenomenon
snowball effectAccelerating cumulative increase
cascadeSuccessive downward flow

chain reaction · tipping point · point of no return · unraveling · deterioration · spiral · descent · slide · worsening · aggravation

incrementalism

creep

Stealthy, slow movement

gradualismPhilosophy of incremental change
encroachmentGradual intrusion on territory
infiltrationCovert entry into organization

wedge · opening · beginning · threshold · precedent · gateway · stepwise · incremental · piecemeal · bit-by-bit

Opposites

manner of change/intrusion

camel's nosefrontal assault

Attack from the front

blitzkrieg · shock and awe · coup · hostile takeover · smash and grab

strategic approach

camel's nosedirect approach

Unsubtle, frontal method

full disclosure · cards on the table · above board

change trajectory

camel's nosezero tolerance

Policy allowing no infractions

firm boundary · containment · drawing a line in the sand · gatekeeping · bright line

Family

camel, nose, camels, noses, nosed, nosy, nosing

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G