play fast and loose

Cultural  

1. To behave dishonorably; to make a promise and fail to deliver on it: “It sounds like a good deal, but I hope that real estate agent isn't just playing fast and loose with me.”

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play fast and loose Idioms  

1. Be recklessly irresponsible, unreliable, or deceitful, as in This reporter is known for playing fast and loose with the facts. This term probably originated in a 16th-century game called “fast and loose,” played at country fairs. A belt was doubled and held with the loop at table's edge, and the player had to catch the loop with a stick as the belt was unrolled—an impossible feat. The term was already used figuratively by the late 1500s, especially for trifling with someone's affections.

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Example Sentences

Responding to the figures, Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray said the government would "never play fast and loose with the public finances".

From BBC

Now there’s an argument across social media: Did Sweeney and the retailer play fast and loose with eugenics to sell jeans?

From Los Angeles Times

Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, said the government would "never play fast and loose with the public finances" and reiterated that the rules on borrowing were "non-negotiable".

From BBC

"We must go further and faster to create an agile and productive state that works for people," said Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, adding that the government "will never play fast and loose with the public finances".

From BBC

Never play fast and loose with the grand old FA Cup.

From BBC