{"id":3764,"date":"2022-05-18T16:09:52","date_gmt":"2022-05-18T16:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=3764"},"modified":"2022-05-18T16:10:18","modified_gmt":"2022-05-18T16:10:18","slug":"takes-two-to-tango-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/takes-two-to-tango-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Takes Two to Tango \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking for a way to tell someone that you need them for a specific task? You could use the phrase \u201c<em>it takes two to tango<\/em>\u201d to show them your need for their assistance. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The expression \u201c<em>it takes two to tango<\/em>\u201d means that it requires more than one party to complete a task. It could refer to more than two people being involved in a crime or a simple miscommunication. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s a way of saying that both parties engaged in a situation are responsible and accountable for the outcome.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The saying can have a sensual meaning, like the South American dance, or it can have a sterile meaning where there is no underlying innuendo involved. The expression can also mean that it takes two parties for successful communication.<\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cSo you think you can do this all alone. Well, I have news for you, it takes two to tango, and you\u2019re going to need me for this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt takes two to tango. You\u2019re telling me he did all of this without an accomplice, and you were tied up all the time?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no way I can manage this by myself. It takes two to tango, and without you, I\u2019m left hopeless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not right for us to blame the affair on Martha alone. There are always two sides to a story, and it takes two to tango in any relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t blame me for shouting at you; it takes two to tango, and you\u2019ve been raising your voice the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cListen, we\u2019re never going to reach an agreement unless we sit down and talk things out. It takes two to tango, and both parties have to be willing in the dance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can\u2019t go out there alone, it takes two to tango, and any idiot can tell you that. Wait for them to arrive before you start making rash decisions regarding your safety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt takes two to tango, and with the Republicans and the Democrats going at each other\u2019s throats over almost everything, it\u2019s doubtful they will p[ass the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt takes two to tango, and these idiots are messing things up right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3765\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Takes-Two-to-Tango.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"235\" height=\"157\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3766\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Takes-Two-to-Tango2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"158\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The expression \u201ctakes two to tango\u201d originates from a song released in 1952. Al Hoffman and Dick Manning wrote and performed the song \u201cTakes Two to Tango.\u201d It was a cultural success, integrating the saying into popular culture and conversation as a way to say it takes to people to enjoy something.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cTango\u201d is a South American dance involving vulnerability, submission, and trust. It requires two partners to perform the dance, and boost must willingly engage with each other to make it work. Several dance competitions use this dance as a qualifier.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Idioms - It takes two to tango\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LJMyopdnyEo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to Takes Two to Tango<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Bonnie and Clyde.<\/li>\n<li>Safety in numbers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to Takes Two to Tango<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A solo job.<\/li>\n<li>The one and only.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Takes two to tango.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say Takes Two to Tango Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>The phrase has nothing to do with the tango or dancing. The \u201ctango\u201d in the saying refers to an activity that two people need to participate in together to make it work.\u201d The phrase can have positive or negative connotations, depending on the situation.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase Takes Two to Tango<\/h2>\n<p>You can use the phrase \u201ctakes two to tango\u201d when trying to imply that an accomplice is as guilty as the offender. It\u2019s also a way of saying that some things require two people to pull it off. The phrase suits professional and social use.<\/p>\n<p>Use it in the office to tell a colleague how you rely on them to help you do your job and you\u2019re grateful for their help. Use it at home to tell your partner that parenting is a two-person activity, and you\u2019re both responsible for your kid's well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Are you looking for a way to tell someone that you need them for a specific task? You could use the phrase \u201cit takes two to tango\u201d to show them your need for their assistance. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression \u201cit takes two to tango\u201d means that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3764"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3764"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3829,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3764\/revisions\/3829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}