Meaning of ifs and ans | Babel Free

Definitions

hypotheticals; counterfactuals; things that one only wishes were the case

plural, plural-only

Examples

“Away with these ifs and ans, Hans, and these et caeteraes, by mine honor Rowland Lacy none but the king shall wrong thee: […]”

“"Oh!" quoth the Emperor, "Oh, excellent oats! . . . you feed⟳ your horses upon ifs and ans. The man that invented ifs and ans certainly made gold of chopped straw! […]”

“And yet such is the constitution of the human golfing soul that it not only fails to achieve⟳ it, but invents for itself multiform and manifold ifs and ans for not achieving it— […]”

CEFR level