nip and tuck
So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is…So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.
Meaning
1 senses(idiomatic)So evenly matched that the advantage shifts from one to the other, and the outcome is uncertain.
1951, Howdy Doody's Christmas Well, it was nip and tuck, but everything worked out fine. Santa Claus got there in time to bring toys to all the boys and girls.
- inconclusive as to outcome; close or just even in a race or comparison or competition
Origin
Of unknown origin. First use appears c. 1845, in the publication American Whig Review.Of unknown origin. First use appears c. 1845, in the publication American Whig Review.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
more nip and tuck, most nip and tuck| Comparative | more nip and tuck Lesson |
|---|---|
| Superlative | most nip and tuck Lesson |
regular
Synonyms
2 synonyms- inconclusive as to outcome; close or just even in a race or comparison or competition:neck and neckhead-to-head
Lessons for this word
2 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
- A2Superlatives — Because it has a superlative form
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.