tit for tat

English

Noun

tit for tat (plural tit for tats)

1. (idiomatic) equivalent retribution, an eye for an eye, returning exactly what you get.

   If you hit me, I'll hit you back; tit for tat.

2. (Cockney rhyming slang) hat.

Translations

returning exactly what you get

Czech: oko za oko (cs) Italian: pan per focaccia (it) Macedonian: мило за драго (mk) (mílo za drágo) n. Norwegian: like for like (no)

Romanian: ochi pentru ochi (ro) Russian: око за око (ru) (óko za óko) Spanish: ten con ten (es)

Adjective

tit for tat (not comparable)

1. Having the characteristic of returning bad for bad.

   Unfortunately, many adults retain a tit-for-tat attitude, but in a more refined way than the simple, childish shove for shove.

   • From The Guardian June, 22 2007.

     Amid fears that the end to more than five and a half years of talks would lead to a new era of tit-for-tat protectionism, negotiations between the United States and the European Union broke down.

Usage notes

As an adjective, tit-for-tat uses hyphens.

It is also a term used in Game Theory, Links to wipipedia needed and a very short explanation of the meaning in that field

Derived terms

• titfer