quits

[ kwits ]

adjective

1. on equal terms by repayment or retaliation.

quits

/ kwɪts /

adjective

1. on an equal footing; even

   now we are quits

2. call it quits
   to agree to end a dispute, contest, etc, agreeing that honours are even

interjection

1. an exclamation indicating willingness to give up

Word History and Origins

Origin of quits¹

1470–80; perhaps < Medieval Latin quittus quit ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. call it quits,
   1. to end one's activity, especially temporarily:

      At 10 o'clock I decided to call it quits for the day.

   2. to abandon an effort.
2. cry quits, to agree to end competition and consider both sides equal:

   It became too dark to continue play and they decided to cry quits.

Example Sentences

The ex-Rep. already gave up his seat in the House, calling it quits just days before the House Ethics report into his alleged sexual misconduct and drug use was set to be released.

From Salon

Despite its success, “Moon Music” is among Coldplay’s final projects, as the band plans to release just two more “proper albums” before calling it quits, Martin told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe last month.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the greatest unknowns remains the question of how many storm-weary operations will simply call it quits.

From Salon

A woman who quits her job to be at home with her young son fears she is turning into a dog at night.

From BBC

Adams plays an unnamed woman who quits her job as an artist to be at home full-time with her young son while her husband continues working.

From BBC

More About Quits

What else does quits mean?

If someone quits or calls it quits, they abruptly leave or give up on something, especially leaving a job, relationship, or game.

Where does quits come from?

As with very many English words, the verb quit goes back to Latin via French. The root, here, is quietus, meaning “free” of such encumbrances as debt or conflict. Quiet and quite are related.

Quit is recorded in the early 1200s when it variously meant “to pay” a fee, penalty, or debt (hence the old sense of quits for “on equal terms by repayment or retaliation.”) By the 1400s, quit, for “leave” or “abandon,” was established. Quitting a job is found by the 1600s, and the verb remains widely used in that context today.

People also call it quits when they agree to end a dispute or a contest (or perhaps an unhealthy relationship) on equal terms. (By the 1660s, the term quits was used as an adjective meaning “on equal footing,” or “even.”) More commonly these days, the term “to call it quits” is used when someone decides to abandon an effort or venture.

Sweet Tomatoes shutters, Archive Bar & Kitchen calls it quits, and more Bay Area restaurant closures https://t.co/GktB7onYKG

— Eater SF (@eatersf) May 19, 2020

How is quits used in real life?

The word quit is fraught with drama. Whether you’re quitting a job or a grueling exercise routine, it’s usually due to struggle—as evidenced in the 2000s gaming expression to rage quit, used to describe when a gamer abruptly stops playing in a fit of emotional frustration. Young children may also issue a pouting I quit if they are fed up with losing in some game or play. Sometimes this use of quit is ironic and playful.

i’m tired can i quit yet

— e v e (@thequietstrum) May 25, 2020

In American culture, quitting a job, partner, or venture can sometimes be viewed negatively, equating the quitter with failure. However, quitting often describes freeing oneself from toxic situations—perhaps as when an employee quits work with some sweary flair. Think, too, of a bad relationship (romantic or professional) which has gone on for far too long before both parties decide to call it quits.

More examples of quits:

“Teen quits his job at Walmart over intercom, tears into company over treatment of employees”
—Morgan Gstalter, The Hill (headline), December 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.