An Eye for an Eye

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

Today we talk to you about expressions dealing with payback, getting even, and revenge.

When a person wants to even the score, that person might have the proverb an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth in mind.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary describes it as a “repayment in kind as revenge for an injustice.”

In kind means “in the same way.”

The expression an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth is ancient. It appears in The Bible and in The Code of Hammurabi, a set of laws written by the ancient Babylonian king of that name.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth describes a way of thinking. It is the idea that retaliating in kind is the best way to deal with a crime or some other offense.

It is the idea that a person who causes someone to suffer should suffer in the same amount and in the same way. For example, if someone did something to hurt you, you would want to hurt them equally.

To remind others of the proverb, people often simply say an eye for an eye.

For some people, every second counts when they are looking to settle a score. For others, the revenge method might require patience. Some people wait years or a lifetime to get their revenge.

The way people settle the score can be very different. Some cultures have this expression: Revenge is a dish best served cold. The idea is that settling the score over time without emotion is the best way.

A similar expression is tit for tat.

Tit for tat is often used to describe diplomatic disagreements between nations. It is hundreds of years old. Both “tit” and “tat” mean the same thing: a “strike” or a “blow.” Experts say the expression changed from tip for tap to its present form after years of sound changes in the English language.

Tit for tat literally means blow for blow. Merriam-Webster says it is: “An equal return given for some wrong that's been done.”

Now, let's hear two friends use some revenge expressions.

A: Did you hear what happened to Tom? Someone slashed his tires! It cost him hundreds of dollars to replace the ruined tires.

B: That sounds awful. Does he know who did it?

A: He suspects it was his ex-girlfriend, Diana.

B: Why?

A: Well, he scratched up the paint on her car last week. I'm still friends with Diana and she told me a security camera caught him doing it. It cost her hundreds of dollars to repaint her car.

B: Well, it sounds like they're even now. You know, an eye for an eye and all that...

And that's Words and Their Stories. Until next time ...

I'm Anna Matteo.

Anna Matteo and Mario Ritter wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

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revenge –n. hurting someone because they hurt you first

score –n. an accounting in numbers or some other measure that shows who is winning and who is losing in a competition

proverb –n. a short saying that expresses what people recognize as a truth or important idea

retaliate –v. to strike back against a wrong or attack

literally –adv. formally defined as

slash –v. to use a knife or similar instrument to cut into something and severely damage it