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

See Examples For:

play fast and loose

"Protecting the public should be the first priority of any government, and they should never play fast and loose with national security."

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

This new version isn’t hemmed in by the traditional structures of a book musical, allowing it to play fast and loose with the theatrical context without having to throw out the story or the score.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

"In the event that the government did attempt to play fast and loose with the public finances, we would expect bond markets to put it in check," the economist said.

From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026

She added that the current case was “very clear evidence, you know, of his willingness to play fast and loose with secret and top secret documents.”

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023

Those who are willing to trick their understandings and play fast and loose with words may, if they please, console themselves with the fatuous commonplaces of a philosophic optimism.

From Critical Miscellanies, Vol. 3 (of 3) Essay 2: The Death of Mr Mill - Essay 3: Mr Mill's Autobiography by Morley, John