“Even stevens” means equal distribution of resources or fulfillment of contractual obligations. Its origin is unclear, but it may have become popular after a New Zealand racehorse of the same name won several races. The phrase uses rhyme and may be a mnemonic device. It is usually used in the form of a question and rarely in the negative.
The English idiom “even stevens” means that two or more parties are “even” or that resources are equally divided between them. Another similar meaning is that all contractual obligations have been fulfilled and are approved by each party. This colloquial phrase is a more colorful way to tell if a deal or scenario is right.
“Stevens too” is a phrase of unclear origins. Most historians of the word would agree that the phrase was used throughout the twentieth century. In many English-speaking societies, this phrase is more verbal than written. Other more technical phrases prevail on the written page, for example “fair and appropriate” or “in correct proportion”.
Some argue that the phrase “even stevens” became much more popular in the 1960s after a New Zealand racehorse of the same name won several major races. The phrase has also been traced to its use in various books and periodicals. It’s familiar to many English speakers, even though they may not use it themselves. Some also change it to exclude the plural, i.e. “also steven”.
Idiomatically, the phrase “even stevens” is an example of the use of rhyme in colloquial speech. The effect of rhyme is something that linguists are interested in. It seems that although different people perceive rhyming slang differently, the overall effect is to emphasize meaning, for example, where “even stevens” may more noticeably lead the listener to focus on fairness than if the speaker simply said “are we even? For some speakers and listeners, the use of rhyme also lightens communication, where “even stevens” may be a more playful description of an affair.
In addition to being a rhyming phrase, the phrase “even stevens” appears to be based on the first name “Steven” or possibly the last name “Stevens”. Some would also call this phrase a “mnemonic” device. In a mnemonic, the sounds of words help fix those words in the mind. This may be part of how many English speakers use the phrase “even stevens.” In terms of actual usage, the phrase is usually used in the form of the question; can also be used for the affirmative, but is almost never used for the negative.
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