Phrase info

Yes and no

Meaning

"Yes and no" signals a mixed answer. Part of the claim is true, but not entirely. It often means the answer depends on context and calls for a brief explanation.

Examples

Tell him to live by yes and no - yes to everything good, no to everything bad. William James

When a question has no correct answer, there is only one honest response. The gray area between yes and no. Silence. Dan Brown

All clear and transparent words appear to be beautiful sounds. Yes and no are not precisely clear words, but definite words. In clear words, there is more light than movement or attitude. Joseph Joubert

If an apprentice does not hear what a master hears, is then that quality not present in the music? Yes and no. In the world in which the apprentice lives no. Robert Fripp

Do I regret taking the company public? Yes and no. Yes, because it put us under enormous pressure for a young company to go public at that point in its history, something you never could have done in the old days. David Talbot

Yes and no rule the world. Italian Proverb

Words in the phrase

Close letter words and terms