tit for tat

Meanings

1. Equivalent retribution; an act of returning exactly what one gets; an eye for an eye.

1. A hat.

Etymology

Uncertain; conjectured to be ultimately from Dutch dit voor dat (“this for that”) or French tant pour tant (“equal for equal”). Compare earlier tip for tap (“(a) blow for (a) blow”), from tip + tap; compare also dialectal tint for tant and tit (“a light blow or hit”). The vowel sequence follows a typical ablaut reduplication pattern.