Meanings
- attributiveA situation where two people or entities are waiting for each other to proceed, so that neither can take action.
Collins hit a fly ball, and this time Cobb and Veach did the "Alphonse and Gaston" act, with Collins making it to third base.
2014, Richard Adler, Mack, McGraw and the 1913 Baseball Season, page 1082 more examples
I have noticed myself that even for a single cyclist Palo Alto motorists are too well-wishing, creating the Alphonse and Gaston syndrome that neither will proceed at minor intersections.
1981, Bob Evatt, FLOWMAP, page 52For years, China and the United States have engaged in a dangerous Alphonse-and-Gaston routine, using each other's inaction to shirk their responsibility.
2009 September 23, New York Times, editorial
Origin
From the name of an American comic strip and its characters, featuring a bumbling pair of Frenchmen with a penchant for politeness.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Alphonse and Gaston. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Alphonse%20and%20Gaston
“Alphonse and Gaston.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Alphonse%20and%20Gaston. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Alphonse and Gaston,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Alphonse%20and%20Gaston.
Source: Alphonse and Gaston on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.