Fast and loose
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
In a recklessly inconsistent or deceitful manner, especially by ignoring rules, facts or commitments. Often constructed as play fast and loose with something. It may describe deliberate deception or merely irresponsible disregard for accuracy and rules. Regional use: Sixteenth-century English gaming expression; now international English.
Origin
The phrase is tied to a cheating game in which a looped belt or cord could appear fast but become loose when a player tried to pin it. Figurative evidence appears in reversed order in a text written around 1546-55 and published in 1558, while the familiar order is recorded in 1557; a description of the game follows in 1578. These dates indicate that the metaphor and game name circulated in the sixteenth century. Shakespeare later used the expression but did not coin it.
Research Sources
Variants
- Play fast and loose
- Playing fast and loose
Usage Examples
- The company played fast and loose with figures supplied to the regulator.
- You cannot be fast and loose about consent when collecting medical data.
- His memoir plays fast and loose with the order in which the events occurred.