Swings Roundabouts It’s Walk Quicker Situation Decision Advantages

If you say “it’s swings and roundabouts” about a situation or a decision, you mean that there are both advantages and disadvantages in doing something one way rather than another.

This expression is a shortened form of a proverb (a wise saying): “what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts”.

“Shall we walk or take the car?”

“It’s swings and roundabouts really. We’d obviously get there quicker by car, but it could take a long time to find a parking space, and there could be so much traffic that it might be quicker to walk home rather than drive.”