phrase
Latin
Quid Pro Quo
lit. โsomething for somethingโ
An exchange of favors or value.
Origin
Originally a pharmacist's phrase for substituting one ingredient for another. Migrated to legal use ('consideration' in contracts) and then to general talk about trade-offs, especially political ones.
Modern usage
Often neutral (contracts, negotiations) but increasingly heard in scandals โ 'a quid pro quo arrangement' implies improper exchange.
Tags
exchange
negotiation