quid pro quophr.n.
/ˌkwɪd prəʊ ˈkwəʊ/, U.S. /ˈˌkwɪd ˌproʊ ˈkwoʊ/ A. phr.† 1. One thing in place of another; esp. with reference to a medicine which is or may be substituted for another. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > [noun] > a medicine or medicament > substitute medicine
quid pro quo?1535
substitute1580
succedaneuma1648
succedany1657
the world > time > change > exchange > substitution > [noun] > a substitute
changec1460
supplier1491
quid pro quo?1535
supply1567
vicegerent1583
substitute1589
vice1597
succedane1601
surrogate1644
succedaneum1651
succedaneum1662
vicar1676
superseder?1774
supersessor1810
locum tenens1814
supplial1837
remplaçant1850
fill-in1918
Stepney1928
stand-in1933
substituter1956
?1535 tr. Erasmus Lytle Treat. Maner & Forme of Confession sig. Mvii Poticaries and phisions do more greuously offende, than do these persones now rehersed, which haue a prouerbe amonge them, quid pro quo, one thynge for another [No corresponding sentence in the Latin original].
1565 J. Calfhill Aunswere Treat. Crosse f. 32v A leude Apoticarie, that vnderstandeth not his bil, but giueth Quid pro Quo.
1601 P. Holland in tr. Pliny Hist. World II. A vj b, Catal. Words Succedan, that drug which may be used for default of another. The Apothecaries call such Quid pro quo.
1654 R. Whitlock Ζωοτομία 60 The Apothecaries themselves, both take, and receive (from Herbe-women) Quid pro Quo, one thing for another, many, many Times.
1741 T. Steward in Philos. Trans. 1737–8 (Royal Soc.) 40 449 A Mistake..and a putting of quid pro quo (as 'tis commonly express'd).
1804 Edinb. Rev. 3 416 Referring the proximate cause of this disease to a deficiency of azote is only substituting quid pro quo.
2. One thing in return or exchange for another; tit for tat.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > change > exchange > substitution > substitute [phrase]
one nail drives out another?c1225
quid pro quo1560
the world > action or operation > behaviour > reciprocal treatment or return of an action > another may act in similar way [phrase] > like for like
to give lill for lollc1425
taunt for (pour) taunt1542
quid pro quo1560
tip for tap1573
veny for veny1612
tint for tant1620
1560–1 To Quenes Counsaill in Marches of Wales in Hereford Munic. MSS (transcript) (O.E.D. Archive) II. 408 Only in equitie and concyence consid(er)inge that yo(u)r orator hath not quid p(ro) quo.
1582 G. Whetstone Heptameron Ciuill Disc. sig. Riiv This yet, was but quid pro quo: so that neither one parte, nor the other was displeased.
1608 T. Middleton Mad World, my Masters ii. sig. C2 Let him trap me In gold, and Ile lap him in lead; quid pro quo.
1647 N. Bacon Hist. Disc. Govt. (1689) vii. 39 That which digested all, and bred good bloud, was, in that the people had quid pro quo, by the advance of Trade.
?1705 E. Hickeringill Vindic. Char. Priest-craft 3 Every Church is the Old-Exchange, Spiritual Things in exchange for Carnal Things, Heaven for Earth; Quid pro Quo.
1778 Ld. Kames Sketches Hist. Man IV. 258 The most extraordinary effort of absurd superstition, is a persuasion, that one may control the course of Providence, by making a downright bargain with God Almighty to receive from him quid pro quo.
1839 Times 12 Oct. 4/4 He gives and he gets quid pro quo.
1986 Sociol. Perspectives 29 366 Sharing of information is typically done quid pro quo and can prove mutually advantageous.
2001 J. Rath et al. W. Europe & its Islam viii. 132 This partnership implies that Muslim organizations play a role not only in the implementation, but also in the development of the minorities policy. After all, quid pro quo.
B. n.
1. † b. A person who assumes a false character. Obsolete.
a. The action or fact of replacing one thing with another; a substitution; esp. a mistake or blunder consisting of such a substitution. In early use also: a medicine substituted for another. Now rare.
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the world > time > change > exchange > substitution > [noun]
changec1325
substitution1572
shift1573
quid pro quo1580
counterchange1589
supposing1591
subrogation1596
commutation1597
suffection1612
surrogationa1638
supplying1643
changeover1918
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > incorrect information > [noun] > mistake of a thing for another
quid pro quo1580
misprision1594
1580 T. Bright Treat. Sufficiencie Eng. Med. 13 Can the temper mende them? or a quid pro quo, as they call them, serue the turne?
1638 W. Melvin tr. C. Garcia Sonne of Rogue 114 The Apothecarie stealeth with a quid pro quo—putting in one drugge for another, and taking that which is cheapest.
a1656 J. Hales Serm. at Eton (1660) ii. 21 The Apothecary, when he finds himself at a loss, and cannot procure the drug he would have, takes ἀντεμβαλλόμενον, a quid pro quo, as they call it, another drug or Simple that shall be of the same, or the like force to cure the disease.
1679 E. Everard Disc. Protestant Princes 35 A Capital quid pro quo of Estate of the most part of the Potentates of Europe.
1688 G. Miege Great French Dict. ii. sig. Ggg/1 Quid-pro-quo, or mistake, un Qui pro quo.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Quid A Northern Physician in a printed Thesis on quid pro quo's owns ingenuously, that they are very frequent.
1790 in tr. ‘E. Habesci’ Partition Dominions of Pope (front matter) (advt.) This is either an error of the Printer's or a quid pro quo of Mr. Mortimer.
1824 Lady Morgan Salvator Rosa I. v. 263 He..produces the most ludicrous quid pro quo's by misapplied erudition, witty absurdities, and naïve questions.
1843 W. M. Thackeray Misc. Ess. (1885) 44 A laughable quid pro quo..occurred to him in a conversation.
1923 in A. T. Barker Mahatma Lett. iii. xxviii. 213 I asked you for a skeleton plan, and you imagined I clamoured for co-operation in the instructions to be given in spiritual sciences! Most unfortunate quid pro quo.
ΚΠ
1596 A. Copley Fig for Fortune 17 Nor stands it with thy honour To be vpbrayded with a curtesie; Much lesse to be employd in a deuoir According Quidpro Quoes seruilitiè.
1689 E. Hickeringill Speech Without-doors ii. 10 Have we not still..some (Quid pro quo's, amongst us) Papists in Masquerade?
2. The action or principle of giving one thing in return or exchange for another, esp. in retaliation, recompense, or as part of a bargain; an instance of this; a reciprocal bargain; (also) that which is given in return.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > change > exchange > [noun] > person or thing exchanged
pricea1300
botchmenta1425
changinga1425
exchange1490
tit for tat1546
changeling?1548
some and some1573
tip for tap1573
quid pro quo1816
1640 J. Howell Δενδρολογια 212 That alleageance is an act of reciprocation; as it bindes the King to protect, so it ties the subject to contribute, and by this correspondence there is a quid pro quo.
1692 R. L'Estrange Fables xxxi. 31 Now the Return of the Stork was only a Quid pro Quo, and a Warrantable Revenge, even according to the Rules of Good Manners, and Good Fellowship.
1792 F. W. Sanders Ess. Nature & Laws Uses & Trusts 340 There should always be a valuable consideration to support a bargain and sale, for its very name imports a quid pro quo.
1816 W. Scott Antiquary III. vi. 126 He gave my termagant kinsman a quid pro quo—a Rowland for his Oliver, as the vulgar say.
1865 Jrnl. Anthropol. Soc. 3 p. cxlix They can more readily understand and appreciate the equity of the principle of quid pro quo.
1871 M. Collins Marquis & Merchant II. ix. 276 The tradesman gets his quid pro quo.
1927 M. Sadleir A. Trollope ii. iii. 146 The small intrigues, jealousies and quid pro quos which went to compose the life of a prosperous English county.
1955 Bull. Atomic Scientists Jan. 12/2 This may be a Soviet bargaining point, to be yielded when a quid pro quo is proffered.
1970 Compar. Politics 3 112 The rewards and quid pro quos which constitute the heart of the system are virtually impermeable by ideaological or universalistic demands.
2001 P. P. Read Alice in Exile (2002) ii. v. 176 As a quid pro quo, the younger Rettenbergs were allowed to invite their own friends to Soligarsk.
Compounds
General attributive (in sense B. 2).
ΚΠ
1828 Times 25 Nov. 2/7 In opening a theatre for Spanish acting, it is a kind of quid pro quo charity.
1861 T. A. Trollope La Beata II. xvii. 187 A system of conduct based on the theory of a quid-pro-quo purchase.
1888 Manitoba Daily Free Press 28 Aug. 1/4 Others who get down to a solid quid pro quo basis, want to know what the province is to secure..in return for what the railway company are to receive.
1940 Syracuse (N.Y.) Herald-Jrnl. 16 Aug. 1/1 He said merely that the conversations are in progress on a quid pro quo basis, and are proceeding.
1981 J. B. Hilton Playground of Death viii. 105 What sort of quid pro quo influence is it that operates across county council frontiers?
2002 N.Y. Times Mag. 13 Oct. 55/3 A lot of workplace harassment consisted not of bluntly quid pro quo sexual solicitations..but of sexual jokes and vulgarity.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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phr.n.?1535