To and fro
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
Backwards and forwards between positions or places, often repeatedly along the same route. Used literally for alternating motion and figuratively for repeated exchanges or indecision. Toing and froing is a later noun phrase and its hyphenation varies by house style. Regional use: Middle English phrase with an Old Norse-derived fossil word; now international English.
Origin
Fro was once an independent directional word meaning away or from. It entered Middle English around 1200 from Old Norse fra and is historically a doublet of from, but it has largely disappeared outside set combinations. To and fro is recorded as an adverbial phrase in the fourteenth century, while a noun for repeated movement appears in 1553. The fossil word is therefore older than the fixed expression, and the familiar noun and adjective uses are later developments from the medieval adverb.
Research Sources
Variants
- Toing and froing
Usage Examples
- The ferry moved to and fro across the narrow channel throughout the morning.
- After hours of toing and froing, the negotiators finally settled the delivery date.
- A loose cable swung to and fro above the stairwell.