- English translation
A visit with some business on the side.
- Literal wording
A visit and trade.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes a social call that also accomplishes something useful. The visit itself is the stated purpose, yet along the way a need is met or an errand is completed, so the occasion delivers both companionship and a practical benefit at once.
Rhetorically, the pairing of 'visit' and 'trade' presents the outing as doubly worthwhile. The second word works figuratively, standing for any practical gain or errand rather than necessarily a commercial deal, so the phrase frames a call that mixes pleasure with getting a task done, without implying that the visit was insincere.
- When it is used
Use it when someone drops in socially and also takes care of a need, such as collecting something, settling a matter, or asking a favor. It can be said lightly by the visitor or the host to acknowledge that the call served two ends.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: A visit with some business on the side.