Idiom: It takes two to tango

 

"It takes two to tango."


Meaning

  • You say "It takes two to tango" when you want to emphasize that both people involved in a difficult situation must accept the blame, or that an activity needs two people who are willing to take part for it to happen
  • Certain actions or activities cannot be performed alone – they  need two people to participate.
  • Both people involved in a situation are equally responsible for it.
  • Actions or communication need more than one person.

Origin

The phrase refers to the South American dance tango, which requires two partners to perform. It originated in a 1952 song Takes Two to Tango by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning and gained popularity subsequently as an expression.


Example Sentences

  • She may want to argue, but it takes two to tango and I won't stoop to her level.
  • Divorce is never the fault of one partner; it takes two to tango.
  • We will never reach an agreement unless we sit down for a discussion. It takes two to tango. 
  • If you want to play that game, you need a partner who will play with you. It takes two to tango.
  • I cannot do this all alone, neither can you – it takes two to tango. 
  • You can't blame the woman for your husband's affair since it takes two to tango.
  • I've tried everything to stop our marriage falling apart. But it takes two to tango and, so far, my husband has made no effort to save our relationship.
  • You can't blame me for this argument. It takes two to tango.
  • In order to make this work, the two of you have to work together. After all, it takes two to tango.
  • Love, affection and honesty are the main bases for a stable and loving parent-child relationship. Fights are rarely the fault of one alone - it takes two to tango.
  • You’re never going to be able to do that by yourself, it takes two to tango.
  • He seems to have forgotten, to make a relationship work it takes two to tango.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Idiom/Phrase: "It's on the tip of my tongue"

Image
  "It's on the tip of my tongue" Meaning If something that you want to say is on the tip of your tongue, you think you are sure you know it such as a word, an answer, or a name, but that you cannot remember it at the moment. Often, when you have a word on the tip of your tongue, you can remember what letter it starts with, or what sound it ends Example Dialogs Scene 1: Two friends are talking ... Friend 1: What was the name of that mystery movie we saw last year? I can't quite remember the name.  Friend 2: Oh yeah.  It was a really good movie.  The name is on the tip of my tongue.  Friend 1: It was a strange name.  Give me a minute and I think I can recall it. Scene 2: Two colleagues are talking ... Colleague 1: Do you remember the name of that software we saw demonstrated at last year's trade show?  Colleague 2:  The one that was supposed to amalgamate all customer service help tickets?  Colleague 1:  Yes, that one. What was th...
Read more

Idiom: Behind bars

Image
  "Behind bars" Meaning The idiom 'behind bars'  means in jail or prison. If you say that someone is behind bars, you mean that they are in prison. This idiom is often used as the phrase ‘put someone behind bars.’ Related words:  in jail or prison , incarcerate, imprison, lock up Origin The idiom “ behind bars ” has been in use since the early 18th century. The word “bars” in this idiom refers to the iron bars conventionally used to confine convicted criminals in jails, prisons, or cells. Example Sentences He has spent most of his life behind bars. If you keep hanging around with the wrong crowd, you’ll end up behind bars. Until the court hearing, they will remain behind bars. Fisher was behind bars last night, charged with attempted murder. Nearly 5,000 people a year are put behind bars over motoring penalties. I heard Mike's uncle is behind bars again. I wonder what he did this time! Sir, I'm afraid your son has been put behind bars on a charge of...
Read more

Idiom: (It's) the least I (you) can/could do

Image
  "It's the least I can do." Meaning Something you should do A polite answer to someone who thanks you (and you feel or wish you could do more) A common answer to being thanked for doing something is "It's the least I could do," which is basically synonymous with "It was nothing". You use expressions like 'that's the least that I can do' to mean that you are very willing to do it, or to acknowledge someone's thanks. Example Dialogs A: "Thanks for taking me to the bus stop."  B: "You're welcome. It's the least I could do now that I have a car." A: "Thank you so much for the cookies!"  B: "It's the least we can do to repay you for looking after our pets while we were away." A:   "Thanks for cleaning up."  B:   " It's the least I can do , seeing as I'm staying here rent-free." Example Sentences If your mother cooks a special dinner the least you can d...
Read more