tit for tat

tit for tat

Describing an act of retaliation. The phrase is most likely an alteration of the Dutch phrase "tip for tap," which means "blow for blow." She's mad at me, so she refuses to help me plan this event—typical tit for tat.
See also: tat, tit
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

tit for tat

Repayment in kind, retaliation, as in If he won't help with the beach clean-up, I won't run a booth at the bake sale; that's tit for tat . This term is believed to be a corruption of tip for tap, which meant "a blow for a blow." Its current form dates from the mid-1500s.
See also: tat, tit
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

tit for tat

Tit for tat is something that someone does to upset or harm someone who has upset or harmed them. In an apparent tit for tat, he announced he was sacking the members of two committees responsible for reactor safety. Note: Tit for tat is also used before nouns. A tit for tat dispute has led to the virtual closure of the border between the two countries.
See also: tat, tit
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

tit for tat

a situation in which an injury or insult is given in return or retaliation.
See also: tat, tit
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

ˌtit for ˈtat

a situation in which you do something unpleasant to somebody because they have done something unpleasant to you: He hit me, so I hit him back — it was tit for tat. the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other’s envoys
See also: tat, tit
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

tit for tat

Payment in kind; precise retaliation. Most authorities believe this expression was a corruption of tip for tap, meaning “a blow for a blow.” It was already in its current form in the sixteenth century. John Heywood’s Proverbs (1546) stated, “Sens tyt for tat (quoth I) on euen hand is set, Set the hares head against the goose ieblet,” and in his Spider and Flie (1556), “That is tit for tat in this altricacion.”
See also: tat, tit
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • give (one) tit for tat
  • give tit for tat
  • tat
  • Blow on it!
  • blow over
  • blow chunks
  • grits
  • grocery
  • blow (one's) groceries
  • blow one’s groceries
References in periodicals archive
Reason: Some welfare policies eliminate tit for tat, so that even if beneficiaries don't cooperate, they still get rewarded.
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We will give tit for tat reply to India on every forum;.
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The farmers also urged the Government not to get into a tit for tat argument with France over BSE by banning all beef imports.
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This is the essence of what has become known as the "tit for tat" strategy.
The origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation
He warned the Indian government to avoid any type of aggression otherwise tit for tat response would be given to India.
Qureshi warns India to avoid any type of aggression
Lindsay Browning have discovered a simple variation of "tit for tat" (copying in each time period whatever the other individual did in the previous period), which can explain how turn-taking evolved in organisms that pursue their individual self-interests robotically.
Habit of taking turns could be in your genes
Detectives believe "tit for tat" revenge was behind the attack.
Pub victim stalked for two hours
When asked of Gazza's behaviour earlier Knox had sighed: "It was tit for tat with the keeper.
DON'T BLAME ME FOR RUDE GAZ - DRAGO