horse trading

noun

1. the act or fact of conducting a shrewd exchange or engaging in a horse trade; bargaining.

horse trading

noun

1. hard bargaining to obtain equal concessions by both sides in a dispute

Word History and Origins

Origin of horse trading¹

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Idioms and Phrases

Negotiation marked by hard bargaining and shrewd exchange. For example, The restaurant owner is famous for his horse trading; he's just exchanged a month of free dinners for a month of free television commercials. This expression alludes to the notorious shrewdness of horse traders, who literally bought and sold horses. [c. 1820]