一日一成语【74】play fast and loose

play fast and loose

fast and loose是一对反义词，fast为“紧”，loose为“松”，两者都是副词。从字面上看不出play fast and loose是什么意思。但至少fast和loose这一对反义词给了我们一点启示，即“时紧时松、经常变化、缺乏一贯”。正是如此，play fast and loose是一个表示某些人的作为和处世态度的成语，有些人对友谊、对工作、对政治、对爱情不是始终不渝，而是朝三暮四，一日一变，这样的做法即为play fast and loose，当然，这是一种很不可取的处世态度：

Mary’s mother warns her that the boy with whom she has been going out recently has a bad reputation of playing fast and loose with the affection of girls.
玛丽的母亲警告她说，近来常和她一起出去的那个男孩对待女孩子的感情朝三暮四，名声不好。

The two political parties both refused to admit him for he had played fast and loose with either of them.
两个政党都不愿意接受他，因为他对两个党的忠诚都不专一。