heads I win, tails you lose
Meanings
phrase
- Said to describe a conflict in which someone has a particular advantage from the start.
Word forms
Etymology
A slight twist on the normal convention when flipping a coin, which is heads I win, tails you win. The flurry of antonymic reversals — heads or tails, you or me, win or lose — sounds euphonious and might seem fair upon first hearing, which makes the phrase suitable for a fast-talking confidence trick except to the extent that it has become hackneyed and synonymous with rigged arrangements.
Related words
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