"you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" meaning in English

See you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

Head templates: {{en-proverb}} you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours
  1. If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo. Translations (if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor): 互惠互利 (hùhuìhùlì) (Chinese Mandarin), 滴水之恩,当涌泉相报 (Chinese Mandarin), кид кидым мушкеш (kid kidym muškeš) (Eastern Mari), vuoroin vieraissa käydään (Finnish), on ne donne rien pour rien (French), on n’a rien pour rien (French), donnant donnant (French), hoxe por min, mañá por ti (Galician), eine Hand wäscht die andere (German), von nichts kommt nichts (German), שמור לי ואשמור לך (Hebrew), יד רוחצת יד (Hebrew), טובה תחת טובה (Hebrew), kéz kezet mos (Hungarian), valamit valamiért (Hungarian), una mano lava l'altra (Italian), 魚心あれば水心あり (alt: うおごころ-あれば-みずごころ-あり uo'gokoro-areba-mizu'gokoro-ari) (Japanese), du klør meg på ryggen, og jeg klør deg på ryggen (Norwegian), du klør min rygg, og jeg klør din (Norwegian), ręka rękę myje (Polish), przysługa za przysługę (Polish), uma mão lava a outra (Portuguese), o mână spală pe alta (Romanian), serviciu contra serviciu (Romanian), услу́га за услу́гу (uslúga za uslúgu) (Russian), am fear a thèid san droigheann dhomh, thèid mi san dris dha (Scottish Gaelic), ruka ruku myje (Slovak), hoy por ti, mañana por mí (Spanish), favor con favor se paga (Spanish), mwosha huoshwa (Swahili), tjänster och gentjänster (Swedish), ยื่นหมูยื่นแมว (yêun mŏo yêun maew) (Thai)
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          "ref": "1974, “Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out)”, in John Lennon (lyrics), Walls and Bridges, performed by John Lennon:",
          "text": "Everybody's hustling for a buck and a dime / I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine",
          "type": "quote"
        }
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      "glosses": [
        "If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo."
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      "id": "en-you_scratch_my_back_and_I'll_scratch_yours-en-proverb-VFwOwzAg",
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        [
          "favor",
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        [
          "quid pro quo",
          "quid pro quo"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "hùhuìhùlì",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "互惠互利"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "滴水之恩,当涌泉相报"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "vuoroin vieraissa käydään"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "on ne donne rien pour rien"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "on n’a rien pour rien"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "donnant donnant"
        },
        {
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "hoxe por min, mañá por ti"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "eine Hand wäscht die andere"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "von nichts kommt nichts"
        },
        {
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "שמור לי ואשמור לך"
        },
        {
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "יד רוחצת יד"
        },
        {
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "טובה תחת טובה"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "kéz kezet mos"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "valamit valamiért"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "una mano lava l'altra"
        },
        {
          "alt": "うおごころ-あれば-みずごころ-あり uo'gokoro-areba-mizu'gokoro-ari",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "魚心あれば水心あり"
        },
        {
          "code": "mhr",
          "lang": "Eastern Mari",
          "roman": "kid kidym muškeš",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "кид кидым мушкеш"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "du klør meg på ryggen, og jeg klør deg på ryggen"
        },
        {
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "du klør min rygg, og jeg klør din"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "ręka rękę myje"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "przysługa za przysługę"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "uma mão lava a outra"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "o mână spală pe alta"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "serviciu contra serviciu"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "ты — мне, я — тебе́ (ty — mne, ja — tebé, literally “you (give something) to me, I (give something) to you”)",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "рука́ ру́ку мо́ет (ruká rúku mójet, literally “one hand washes another”)",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "uslúga za uslúgu",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "услу́га за услу́гу"
        },
        {
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "am fear a thèid san droigheann dhomh, thèid mi san dris dha"
        },
        {
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "ruka ruku myje"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "hoy por ti, mañana por mí"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "favor con favor se paga"
        },
        {
          "code": "sw",
          "lang": "Swahili",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "mwosha huoshwa"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "tjänster och gentjänster"
        },
        {
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "yêun mŏo yêun maew",
          "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
          "word": "ยื่นหมูยื่นแมว"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours"
}
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          "type": "quote"
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        "If you do me a favor then I will do you a favor; quid pro quo."
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "hùhuìhùlì",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "互惠互利"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "滴水之恩,当涌泉相报"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "vuoroin vieraissa käydään"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "on ne donne rien pour rien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "on n’a rien pour rien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "donnant donnant"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "hoxe por min, mañá por ti"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "eine Hand wäscht die andere"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "von nichts kommt nichts"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "שמור לי ואשמור לך"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "יד רוחצת יד"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "טובה תחת טובה"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "kéz kezet mos"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "valamit valamiért"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "una mano lava l'altra"
    },
    {
      "alt": "うおごころ-あれば-みずごころ-あり uo'gokoro-areba-mizu'gokoro-ari",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "魚心あれば水心あり"
    },
    {
      "code": "mhr",
      "lang": "Eastern Mari",
      "roman": "kid kidym muškeš",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "кид кидым мушкеш"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "du klør meg på ryggen, og jeg klør deg på ryggen"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "du klør min rygg, og jeg klør din"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "ręka rękę myje"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "przysługa za przysługę"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "uma mão lava a outra"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "o mână spală pe alta"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "serviciu contra serviciu"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "ты — мне, я — тебе́ (ty — mne, ja — tebé, literally “you (give something) to me, I (give something) to you”)",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "рука́ ру́ку мо́ет (ruká rúku mójet, literally “one hand washes another”)",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "uslúga za uslúgu",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "услу́га за услу́гу"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "am fear a thèid san droigheann dhomh, thèid mi san dris dha"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "ruka ruku myje"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "hoy por ti, mañana por mí"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "favor con favor se paga"
    },
    {
      "code": "sw",
      "lang": "Swahili",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "mwosha huoshwa"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "tjänster och gentjänster"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "yêun mŏo yêun maew",
      "sense": "if you do me a favor then I will do you a favor",
      "word": "ยื่นหมูยื่นแมว"
    }
  ],
  "word": "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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