after you, my dear Alphonse

after you, my dear Alphonse

A phrase typically said when two people try to do the same thing at the same time. It derives from the 1920s comic strip Happy Hooligan, which featured two very well-mannered Frenchmen, Alphonse and Gaston. No, no, you go first—after you, my dear Alphonse!
See also: after, dear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • chalk and cheese
  • Box and Cox
  • battle of the giants
  • at each other's throats
  • be at each other's throats
  • be in two places at once
  • cling together
  • go two-forty
  • between two fires
  • common cause
References in classic literature
Now, in similar circumstances, he would probably step aside politely, as who should say, 'After you, my dear Alphonse.'
The Man Upstairs and Other Stories
Today, the catchphrase "After you, my dear Alphonse" is heard whenever a dare is made to a person to do something difficult or even dangerous.
Alphonse and Gaston