17th century idiom.
A formal deductive logical device used in a debate that simultaneously agrees and disagrees with any proceeding statement or argument.
See also "It's a
dog-eat-
dog world, Winston Churchill said that."
A:
Al you old son of a bitch, how you doing? how you feel about the Dolphins? That call last
night was aweful.
B: As far as I see it, you can pay the barber, but you can't buy him
breakfast.