give (one) tit for tat
give (one) tit for tat
To retaliate against one. The phrase is most likely an alteration of the Dutch phrase "tip for tap," which means "blow for blow." A: "Shelly's mad at you?" B: "Yep, and she's giving me tit for tat by refusing to help me plan this event." I know your brother hit you, but you don't have to give him tit for tat—find a better solution than that.
See also: give, tat, tit
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
give someone tit for tat
Fig. to give someone something equal to what was given you; to exchange a series of very similar things, one by one, with someone. They gave me the same kind of difficulty that I gave them. They gave me tit for tat. He punched me, so I punched him. Every time he hit me, I hit him. I just gave him tit for tat.
See also: give, tat, tit
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- give tit for tat
- tat
- tit for tat
- at one blow
- Blow on it!
- blow over
- blow chunks
- grits
- blow one’s groceries
- blow (one's) groceries