とんとん

tap
rap-tap
tapping

* * *

とんとん

1 〔同じ程度であるさま〕

～の the same; even; equal.

●とんとんにする make even

・収支はとんとんになっている. Income and expenditure are the same [equal, even].

・それでとんとんだ. That makes us even. | That evens things up.

・〔マージャンなどの賭け事をやって〕 結果はまあとんとんだった. I just about broke even (on those games).

・商売はまだとんとんとまではいかないが, かなり赤字は減った. The business still hasn't reached the break-even point, but the debts have gone down a lot.

・両チームの実力はとんとんといったところだ. Both teams are about even in ability.

2 〔叩く音〕 a knocking [rapping, tapping] sound; tap-tap; rap-tap-tapping.

●ドアをとんとんたたく tap [rap, knock] at [on] the door; give a knock-knock

・とんとん肩をたたく give sb a couple of taps on the shoulder.

●とんとんと突き固める tamp

・とんとんと野菜を切る chop vegetables on a cutting board

・彼は巻煙草をとんとんとやって口にくわえた. He tamped the ends of the cigarette and put it in his mouth.

・とんとんと釘を打つ音が聞こえた. I heard somebody pounding a nail.

3 〔物事がうまく進むようす〕 ＝とんとんびょうし.

●交渉がとんとん(と)すすむ negotiations proceed apace.

とんとんとん tap-tap-tap.