Meaning:
Be inconstant and unreliable.
Background:
This derives from an old deception or cheating game in which something that
appears stuck (fast) easily becomes loose. It is nicely defined in James
Halliwell's A dictionary of archaic and provincial words, obsolete phrases,
proverbs and ancient customs, from the fourteenth century, 1847:
"Fast-and-loose, a cheating game played with a stick and a belt or string,
so arranged that a spectator would think he could make the latter fast by
placing a stick through its intricate folds, whereas the operator could
detach it at once."
...
Shakespeare later used it in King John, 1595:
KING PHILIP:
Heaven knows, they were besmear'd and over-stain'd
With slaughter's pencil, where revenge did paint
The fearful difference of incensed kings:
And shall these hands, so lately purged of blood,
So newly join'd in love, so strong in both,
Unyoke this seizure and this kind regreet?
Play fast and loose with faith? so jest with heaven,
- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]
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When I first came to the west, all media sounded mumble jumble. It took 25 years
and a U.S. president playing fast and loose to interest me in what they say.
These days, I find myself frequently, upon hearing something, have an opinion.
For example, when a columnist from The Atlantic yapped on NPR Friday night about
the importance of hobbies and how the tariffs were going to make his, fishing,
shooting, and model-train collecting, more expensive and thereby to lead to
isolation and mental health risks, I was amused. As calls poured in over the
next hour to concur, gripe, and paint a dysphoric future with each precious
hobby made less affordable, however, I was outraged because nobody talked about
what I liked, e.g., running, weight-lifting, reading, etc.
As much as I dislike the person, I have to agree with Trump that we don't need
the cheap stuff, if only there is a 'we.' Merely doing without many of the
over-egged frills which are choking the planet is infinitely more healing,
appealing, plus responsible and even honorable.
