Revised 2021

fast and loosenoun & adjective

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Forms
Frequency

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the phrase fast and loose mean?

There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the phrase fast and loose, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

fast and loose has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

gambling (late 1500s) mechanics (1800s)

See meaning & use

How common is the phrase fast and loose?

About 0.08occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750	0.0039
1760	0.0035
1770	0.0091
1780	0.015
1790	0.025
1800	0.037
1810	0.049
1820	0.065
1830	0.086
1840	0.11
1850	0.13
1860	0.16
1870	0.17
1880	0.19
1890	0.2
1900	0.2
1910	0.19
1920	0.18
1930	0.16
1940	0.13
1950	0.11
1960	0.093
1970	0.089
1980	0.086
1990	0.081
2000	0.078
2010	0.083

See frequency

How is the phrase fast and loose pronounced?

British English

/ˌfɑːst (ə)n(d) ˈluːs/

fahsst-uhnd-LOOSS

/ˌfast (ə)n(d) ˈluːs/

fasst-uhnd-LOOSS

U.S. English

/ˌfæst (ə)n ˈlus/

fasst-uhn-LOOSS

See pronunciation

Where does the phrase fast and loose come from?

Earliest known use

mid 1500s

The earliest known use of the phrase fast and loose is in the mid 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for fast and loose is from 1557, in a text by Earl of Surrey, poet and soldier, et al.

fast and loose is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: fast adj., or conj.1, and conj.1, loose adj.

See etymology

Nearby entries

fassy, n.1943–
fassyhole, n.1997–
fast, n.¹c1175–
fast, n.²1440–
fast, n.³1673–1815
fast, n.⁴1778–1883
fast, adj.Old English–
fast, v.¹Old English–
fast, v.²Old English–
fast, adv. & int.Old English–
fast and loose, n. & adj.1557–
fast-approaching, adj.1671–
fast-attack, adj.1931–
fastback, n.1912–
fastball, n.1883–
fastballer, n.1924–
fast boat, n.1815–
fast book, n.1631–
fast bowler, n.1828–
fast bowling, n.1816–
fast break, n.1889–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Entry history for fast and loose, n. & adj.

fast and loose, n. & adj. was revised in June 2021.

fast and loose, n. & adj. was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into fast and loose, n. & adj. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1895)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View fast and (or) loose in OED Second Edition

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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for fast and loose, n. & adj.

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Nearby entries

fassy, n.1943–
fassyhole, n.1997–
fast, n.¹c1175–
fast, n.²1440–
fast, n.³1673–1815
fast, n.⁴1778–1883
fast, adj.Old English–
fast, v.¹Old English–
fast, v.²Old English–
fast, adv. & int.Old English–
fast and loose, n. & adj.1557–
fast-approaching, adj.1671–
fast-attack, adj.1931–
fastback, n.1912–
fastball, n.1883–
fastballer, n.1924–
fast boat, n.1815–
fast book, n.1631–
fast bowler, n.1828–
fast bowling, n.1816–
fast break, n.1889–

Browse more nearby entries