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roundabout

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what you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts

The losses, setbacks, or negative aspects of a certain situation are offset or balanced by equally advantageous or positive elements, or vice versa. (The formation of the phrase can also be reversed.) Primarily heard in UK. This promotion has meant I can provide for my family much more easily, but it's so demanding that I don't see them all that much—what you gain on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts. People here complain about the high level of taxes, but what you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts—if I were to go into the hospital tomorrow for a major operation, I wouldn't pay a thing.

See also: gain, lose, on, roundabout

swings and roundabouts

A situation in which certain gains, advantages, or other positive aspects or outcomes are offset or balanced by equally disadvantageous losses, setbacks, or negative outcomes (or vice versa). Primarily heard in UK. This promotion has meant I can provide for my family much more easily, but it's so demanding that I don't see them all that much—it's swings and roundabouts, really. The government needs to be wary of the swings and roundabouts of a slight surplus in the budget, because many problems can follow on the heels of unfettered increases in spending.

See also: and, roundabout, swing

say something in a roundabout way

to imply something without saying it; to say something indirectly; to speak using circumlocution. Why don't you say what you mean? Why do you always say something in a roundabout way? What did she mean? Why did she say it in a roundabout way?

See also: roundabout, say, way

it's swings and roundabouts

  (British & Australian) also what you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts (British & Australian)

something that you say to describe a situation in which there are as many advantages as there are problems If you make more money, you have to pay more tax, so what we gain on the swings, we lose on the roundabouts. It's swings and roundabouts, really. If you save money by buying a house out of town, you pay more to travel to work.

See also: and, roundabout, swing