Possession is nine points of the law, and they say there are but ten.

Meaning: Physical control of something provides nearly complete legal claim, leaving little room for challengers to reclaim it.

Origin: Thomas Draxe recorded "possession is nine points of the law" in 1616, and a Scottish version made it eleven points out of twelve. No actual legal rule lies behind the numbers; the point is that whoever actually holds a thing starts with almost every advantage in a dispute over it. The added joke — that there are only ten points in all — makes the claimant's case nearly hopeless.