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Turn the tablesMeaning
OriginGames like backgammon are known as 'tables' games. The phrase 'turn the tables' derives from these games and from the practise of reversing the board so that players play from their opponent's previous position. The first known example of the figurative use of the phrase in print is in Robert Sanderson's XII sermons, 1634:
See also: vice-versa. Phrasefinder is also on
Tudor Phrases and Sayings - a book on the meanings and origins of the phrases and sayings that Shakespeare and Henry VIII used that we use still use every day. |
Reverse the positions of adversaries. The phrases is often used when the weaker position subsequently becomes dominant. 
