work both sides of the street

Idioms  

1. Engage in doubledealing, be duplicitous, as in The real estate agent was known for working both sides of the street, advising first the buyer and then the seller. This metaphoric term transfers opposite sides of a street to opposite sides of a negotiation.

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Example Sentences

But the Ryder Cup cannot work both sides of the street and expect its public not to notice.

From The Guardian • Oct. 1, 2010

And prices for authentic antiques can often be higher in the Flea Market than in the expensive antique shops of the fashionable Faubourg Saint-Honor�in fact, canny antique dealers work both sides of the street.

From Time Magazine Archive

You had to get up early and work both sides of the street.

From Time Magazine Archive

Essentially, it is in the North Vietnamese interest to work both sides of the street.

From Time Magazine Archive

His talent for calculated confusion reaches into his papers, which work both sides of the street.

From Time Magazine Archive