give and take
Meaning: Mutual compromise, where each side concedes something.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “A long marriage runs on give and take.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The pairing of the two opposite verbs is old; "give and take" as a noun for fair exchange is recorded in English from the 18th century, originally in horse racing for a race that handicapped horses by weight.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: tira y afloja — literally: pull and loosen
More idioms — Daily Life
- on the sly — Secretly, so as not to be seen.
- bail someone out — To rescue someone from trouble, especially by paying.
- a double-edged sword — Something with both good and bad consequences.
- blow the lid off — To expose a scandal or secret.
- be ahead of the game — To be in a better position than one's rivals.
- there are no two ways about it — The matter admits no doubt or alternative.
More English idioms
- small potatoes — Something unimportant or trivial.
- a dog's breakfast — A complete mess.
- not a peep — Not a sound, or not a word from someone.
- get out of hand — To become impossible to control.
- a dime a dozen — So common as to be worth very little.
- fire the starting gun — To signal the official start of something.