Idiom
give and take
SlangCockney rhyming slang
Meaning
cake
Examples
“Every good friendship needs some give and take.”
“We settle our household chores through a little give and take.”
“Marriage works best when there is a fair amount of give and take.”
“Successful teamwork requires a lot of give and take to keep everyone happy.”
“The two countries reached a trade agreement only after months of give and take regarding taxes and shipping rules.”
“You should expect some give and take when you negotiate your new salary and vacation days with the manager.”
“In any healthy long-term partnership, there must be a constant process of give and take to balance the needs of both individuals.”
Examples
simple
“Every good friendship needs some give and take.”
“We settle our household chores through a little give and take.”
“Marriage works best when there is a fair amount of give and take.”
contextual
“Successful teamwork requires a lot of give and take to keep everyone happy.”
“The two countries reached a trade agreement only after months of give and take regarding taxes and shipping rules.”
“You should expect some give and take when you negotiate your new salary and vacation days with the manager.”
complex
“In any healthy long-term partnership, there must be a constant process of give and take to balance the needs of both individuals.”
Origin
The idiom is first recorded in 1769, appearing as a reference to the weight-based handicapping of horses in racing. A horse was required to carry more or less weight depending on its previous successes, a practice of balancing advantages that required one party to give ground while the other took it. The term migrated from the turf to the general vocabulary to describe the broader necessity of mutual compromise.
Key words
Related idioms
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