toing and froing

toing and froing

1. Traveling between places or locations. Formed from the phrase "to and fro," meaning "back and forth" or "here and there." All this toing and froing between our different stores throughout the state has left me exhausted.
2. Jumping between plans or ideas in an unproductive way. To solve this problem, you need to commit to one plan of attack and stop all this toing and froing.
See also: and, toe
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

toing and froing (on something)

moving back and forth on an issue, first deciding one way and then changing to another. The boss spent most of the afternoon toing and froing on the question of who was to handle the Wilson account. I wish you would stop toing and froing and make up your mind.
See also: and, toe
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

ˌtoing and ˈfroing


1 movement or travel backwards and forwards between two or more places: All this toing and froing between London and Paris is making him tired.
2 a lot of unnecessary or repeated activity or discussion: There’s been a lot of toing and froing next door today. I wonder what’s happening. After a great deal of toing and froing, I decided not to change jobs after all.
See also: and, toe
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • walk the floor
  • pace the floor
  • scientia potentia est
  • a word to the wise
  • back burner
  • backburner
  • burner
  • (as) sure as eggs (is eggs)
  • a penny for them
  • to and fro
References in periodicals archive
Despite its breathtaking pace, when the occasion demands it the GT Speed also performs perfectly well as an everyday car about town, though fuel economy for this type of toing and froing is a bit of a shocker.
A lesson in style and sophistication
I had been toing and froing to Turkey from the UK for many years as a guidebook writer.
[Cave Life] That damned elusive Saryhan
But after much toing and froing as confusion reigned at St Andrew's, fourth official Neil Hair put Hill right, to Blues relief.
REF 'GOT IT RIGHT' - FINALLY
And they all finally moved in together after three years of Maria toing and froing between her husband and lover.
Meet the husband, wife and lover who live under same roof
THERE was always going to be a bit of toing and froing when it came to the initial drafts of the 2013 Sky Sports schedule and so it was that changes were announced yesterday when it became apparent that an extra date was available.
OFF THE LEASH Muttley
Let's assume there's a bit of the usual toing and froing, passport copy swapping, stamping and so on but it seems possible that a person - who met the nationality criteria and had the right documents - could buy a gun in just a few minutes.
Weapons and water
Elijah Wood has admitted he was confused after the toing and froing between directors on The Hobbit.
Elijah Wood's director drama
With the seven XJs toing and froing the car will be given ''the sort of publicity that money just can't buy'' said the insider.
A royal coup as Jaguar gets wedding invitation
Not only does he/she bring to the reading of literature a more complex intertextual repertoire (the knowledge of other texts by other authors, contemporary, earlier, and later than the text being reread) but his/her knowledge of the complete oeuvre of any individual author (the toing and froing from earlier to later text) provides a further, crucial function within the semiotic process.
Semiotics of Re-Reading: Guido Gozzano, Aldo Palazzeschi, Italo Calvino
The MEPs also called for a single European Parliament seat and an end to the costly toing and froing between Brussels and Strasbourg.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT : MEPS DENOUNCE TECHNICAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN EPP-ED AND PES
Despite all the toing and froing to the ERC headquarters, it remains to be seen if the Ospreys centre starts a single Six Nations match.
Football: Punch-drunk Rud; Injuries leave defending champions on the ropes
Likewise, in this year's collaboration, the three-way toing and froing has produced a pavilion that bears unmistakable traits of each of the three designers, with Balmond notably yielding where necessary to Siza and Souto de Moura's lead.
Forms, follies, functions
Which she does, of course, thus beginning a sweet toing and froing of flirty messages in the paper.
A platform for old romantics; bookclub with NICOLA SMITH Do you have a book review or would you like me to review a book you've enjoyed? Please get in touch at DRbookclub@dailyrecord.co.uk or tweet @NicolawordSmith
CALL 09044705700 65p/MIN ROI 1550787001 ([euro]0.97PER MIN) GEMINI MAY 22 - JUNE 21 There's a lot of toing and froing and an edge of excitement or of tension over this week, thanks to your wee planet Mercury at a standstill, reconsidering options, having a think about what's all come up to the surface recently, giving much food for thought.
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