the.com/give and take
The negotiation where both sides lose exactly enough to call it fair.
means A mutual exchange of concessions where each side yields a little in order to reach agreement.
from A straightforward 19th-century pairing of two plain English verbs, 'give' and 'take,' yoked together to describe reciprocal exchange — first used for literal bartering and conversation, then widened to cover any relationship or negotiation run on mutual compromise. No hidden story here: the phrase means exactly what it says, which is itself part of its charm.
- origin
- first paired as idiom in 1700s English
- myth
- not actually 50-50, just mutual tolerance
- relationships
- therapists call this compromise with better PR
- opposite
- take and take, also known as a bad deal