"Alphonse and Gaston" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "From the name of an American comic strip and its characters, featuring a bumbling pair of Frenchmen with a penchant for politeness.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Alphonse and Gaston",
      "name": "en-prop"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English coordinated pairs",
          "parents": [
            "Coordinated pairs",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1981, Bob Evatt, FLOWMAP, page 52:",
          "text": "I have noticed myself that even for a single cyclist Palo Alto motorists are too well-wishing, creating the Alphonse and Gaston syndrome that neither will proceed at minor intersections.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009 September 23, New York Times, editorial:",
          "text": "For years, China and the United States have engaged in a dangerous Alphonse-and-Gaston routine, using each other's inaction to shirk their responsibility.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Richard Adler, Mack, McGraw and the 1913 Baseball Season, page 108:",
          "text": "Collins hit a fly ball, and this time Cobb and Veach did the \"Alphonse and Gaston\" act, with Collins making it to third base.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A situation where two people or entities are waiting for each other to proceed, so that neither can take action."
      ],
      "id": "en-Alphonse_and_Gaston-en-name-xe9kuP8f",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(attributive) A situation where two people or entities are waiting for each other to proceed, so that neither can take action."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "after you, Alphonse"
        },
        {
          "word": "deadlock"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "attributive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "Alphonse and Gaston"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "From the name of an American comic strip and its characters, featuring a bumbling pair of Frenchmen with a penchant for politeness.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Alphonse and Gaston",
      "name": "en-prop"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "after you, Alphonse"
    },
    {
      "word": "deadlock"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English coordinated pairs",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English eponyms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English proper nouns",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1981, Bob Evatt, FLOWMAP, page 52:",
          "text": "I have noticed myself that even for a single cyclist Palo Alto motorists are too well-wishing, creating the Alphonse and Gaston syndrome that neither will proceed at minor intersections.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009 September 23, New York Times, editorial:",
          "text": "For years, China and the United States have engaged in a dangerous Alphonse-and-Gaston routine, using each other's inaction to shirk their responsibility.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Richard Adler, Mack, McGraw and the 1913 Baseball Season, page 108:",
          "text": "Collins hit a fly ball, and this time Cobb and Veach did the \"Alphonse and Gaston\" act, with Collins making it to third base.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A situation where two people or entities are waiting for each other to proceed, so that neither can take action."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(attributive) A situation where two people or entities are waiting for each other to proceed, so that neither can take action."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "attributive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "Alphonse and Gaston"
}