courtesy demands reciprocity; tit for tat
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesidiom
etiquette demands reciprocity; good manners require that favors be returned
formalDescribes a traditional principle of social conduct where a courtesy or gift should be reciprocated.
When he gave me a gift for Spring Festival, I naturally had to return the favor—that's what 'courtesy demands reciprocity' means.
In business dealings, reciprocity in courtesy is the foundation for building good relationships.
idiom
tit for tat; respond in kind; reciprocal action
neutralModern usage, often describes responding to an action with a similar one, which can be either positive (returning a favor) or negative (retaliation).
Since they don't respect us, we don't need to be polite either—tit for tat.
In international trade, if the other side imposes additional tariffs, we will also respond in kind.
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He helped me before, so now I'm helping him—it's reciprocal.