play fast and loose, to
Meaning: To trifle with someone; to be unreliable and inconsistent.
Several writers believe that this term, which dates from the sixteenth century, came from a cheating game called “fast and loose” that was played at fairs. A belt or strap was doubled and rolled up with the loop at the edge of a table. The customer had to catch the loop with a stick or skewer while the belt was unrolled, but it was so done that the feat was impossible.
Shakespeare used the term figuratively in a number of plays, including Antony and Cleopatra (4.12): “Like a right gipsy, hath, at fast and loose, beguiled me to the very heart of loss.” Over the centuries, writers continued to use it for trifling with someone’s affections, as in Thackeray’s Lovell the Widower (1860): “She had played fast and loose with me.”
Synonyms:
- To wink and nudge 🤨
- To lead someone on
- To toy with
- To mess someone around
Antonyms:
- To be steadfast 🤝
- To be reliable
- To be trustworthy
- To be consistent
Related Terms and Expressions:
- Blow hot and cold: To be inconsistent.
- Run hot and cold: To change one’s behavior or feelings frequently.
- Give someone the runaround: To be evasive.
Similar Idioms:
- Fickle as the wind: As changing as the direction of the wind.
- All over the map: Inconsistent and erratic.
Humor-Filled Quotes:
- “He’s playing fast and loose with truth like a magician juggling invisible balls.”
- “Playing fast and loose? That’s just a fancy way of saying someone’s a professional flimflam artist.”
Proverbs:
- “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
- “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
Literature & Media:
- Books: The Confidence Man by Herman Melville
- Songs: “Backstabber” by Kesha
- Movies: Catch Me If You Can directed by Steven Spielberg
- Poetry: “The Flea” by John Donne
May your words be ever consistent, your heart steadfast, and may you always see through the tricks of those who play fast and loose.
- Iv. Inkwell
