The expression give and take is first
recorded (1769) in British horse racing as "a prize for a race" in which
horses over the standard height must carry more weight, and under the
standard height must carry less weight. By 1816 we find the phrase being
used on and off the track for making allowances or concessions in
compromises. (In an interesting study of the words give and take,
researchers found that over a given period among an observed group, give
was used 2,184 times, while take was used 7,008 times.)