yes and no

Idioms  

1. In some ways and not others, as in Did you enjoy yourself?—Yes and no, I liked the music itself but hated the conductor. This idiom, always a reply to a question, was first recorded in 1873.

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Example Sentences

Asked whether it would matter to the luxury consumer, the vice president and fashion director at Nordstrom, Rickie De Sole, suggested the answer might be yes and no.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

"I would say yes and no, you never know," she says.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

“I want to hire people who can tell me yes and no, what’s doable and what’s not, what’s impossible,” Carson Palmer said.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2024

Luckily, AI models aren't static tools with predefined yes and no pathways.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2023

And she mimicked the yes and no answers she got in reply to her questions.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez