tit-for-tat
you do something against me, and I do something against you
TRANSLATION
wie du mir, so ich dir
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
"US lodges TIT-FOR-TAT steel complaint - A trade war over steel crept a step closer on Friday after the US hinted it could file a formal complaint against Europe."
(BBC News - 31 May 2002)
(BBC News - 31 May 2002)
Did you
know?
Did you know?
tit-for-tat
Meaning: A repayment in kind
The original phrase was probably "Tip for Tap", a very old expression that evolved into tit-for-tat in the mid-16th century.
Tip meant a hit, a shove. Tap was a retaliatory hit. The meaning is a punishment to pay back an offence, measured to be equal and proportionate. You hit me, I hit you, tit-for-tat.
By the way, tit-for-tat turns out to be the optimal strategy in Game Theory to guarantee cooperation from an opponent.
tit-for-tat response = die Retourkutsche
tit-for-tat
Meaning: A repayment in kind
The original phrase was probably "Tip for Tap", a very old expression that evolved into tit-for-tat in the mid-16th century.
Tip meant a hit, a shove. Tap was a retaliatory hit. The meaning is a punishment to pay back an offence, measured to be equal and proportionate. You hit me, I hit you, tit-for-tat.
By the way, tit-for-tat turns out to be the optimal strategy in Game Theory to guarantee cooperation from an opponent.
tit-for-tat response = die Retourkutsche
