ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nip and tuck

idiom
Meaning

So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.


Origin

first recorded 19th c.

Of unknown origin. First use appears c. 1845, in the publication American Whig Review.

Examples
SIMPLE

The game is nip and tuck right now.

CONTEXTUAL

The election results are nip and tuck, with neither candidate pulling ahead of the other.

COMPLEX

Throughout the final set, the match remained nip and tuck, leaving the spectators breathless as the lead changed hands with every point.

Anchors to
Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    nip at

    To sip a drink (usually alcoholic) in small amounts.

  2. 02

    nip in the bud

    To stop something at an early stage.

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