Idiom idiom
a Roland for an Oliver
Meaning
Equal measure; measure for measure; adequate response.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He gave her a Roland for an Oliver after she insulted him.”
“When the rival company lowered their prices, our manager gave them a Roland for an Oliver by launching a massive discount campaign.”
“The political debate turned into a series of sharp retorts, with each candidate determined to provide a Roland for an Oliver until the very end of the broadcast.”
Origin
From the stories of Roland and Oliver, legendary knights of equal might.
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026