Quotation for quotation

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello everyone,

In the movie Mission to Venice there is a phrase that seems interesting to me.

César: You must be out of your mind. That woman is a Mata Hari. I saw how she was wrapping you around her finger.
Michael: Don’t you worry about it, César.
César: But even Colonel Vallier himself is positive that Trégard was a…
Michael: And if he’s innocent? What if she’s right and they are wrong?
César: Oh, yes, the green monster of right and wrong leers while laughing at the innocent. Victor Hugo.
Michael : Quotation for quotation. When in doubt, don’t stay out. That’s my father. And me I add in poker I always pay… to see.
César: You might pay very dearly to see.

As I understand Michael says “Quotation for quotation” to mean that César uses one quotation after the other. But why is it “Quotation for quotation”, not “Quotation after quotation”?

Quotation after quotation as in " In a previous address I gave quotation after quotation from a book which has now become famous indeed ; but those quotations seem to have had very little effect." (Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives).

The scene in question is at 13.24.

Thank you.

3 Likes
2

I’ll respond with this quotation for your quotation.
I’ll match your quotation with another, more apt, one.
It’s a bit like “tit for tat”.
I’ve never really heard it expressed this way, but maybe it’s a French phrase.

This is a bit different.
I gave multiple quotations.

3 Likes
3

Thank you very much, Arinker.

3 Likes
4

This is a book written in English, made into a movie in French which is then dubbed back into English. It would be interesting to see if this scene is in the book and what English phrase he used.

3 Likes
5

Well, as far as I know, there is no such conversation in the book at all.

2 Likes