You've endured the span. Endure the last inch.

What it means

After a long hard stretch, the last bit is no time to quit. You have already borne the worst of it. Finish what you have suffered through.

The source

"You've endured the span. Endure the last inch." This Scottish proverb is recorded in Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland (3rd ed.), p. 82. Translated by Original Scots (Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland, 1862).

"Dree out the inch when ye have tholed the span."

Original Scots (Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland, 1862), Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland (3rd ed.), p. 82. Text read at archive.org.

Who said it

Proverbs of the world (Every age). Sayings from the Latin, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Chinese and more, each traced to an old source in its own language.

Questions

What does "You've endured the span. Endure the last inch." mean?

After a long hard stretch, the last bit is no time to quit. You have already borne the worst of it. Finish what you have suffered through.

Who said "You've endured the span. Endure the last inch."?

Scottish proverb. Source: Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland (3rd ed.), p. 82.

What is the original wording?

Dree out the inch when ye have tholed the span (Original Scots (Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland, 1862)). Translated by Original Scots (Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland, 1862).

Is "You've endured the span. Endure the last inch." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"You've endured the span. Endure the last inch." (Scottish proverb, Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland (3rd ed.), p. 82, trans. Original Scots (Hislop, The Proverbs of Scotland, 1862)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/youve-endured-the-span-endure-the-last-inch