Related Phrases
The phrase qui pro quo (from medieval Latin: literally "qui instead of quid"), is common in languages such as Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French, where it means a misunderstanding. In those languages, the phrase corresponding to the usage of quid pro quo in Latin is do ut des (English for "I give so that you will give").
The two expressions seem to have the same origin, though they have different meanings. The Vocabolario Treccani, under the entry “qui pro quo”, observes that the latter expression probably derives from the Latin ‘quid pro quo’ used in late mediaeval pharmaceutical compilations (see the Vocabolario Treccani, http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/qui-pro-quo/)
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