have a foot in both camps—have connections with two mutually antagonistic groups:
- Evelio had his foot in both camps and had a significant influence in each of the two organizations.
walk both sides of the street—(also: have it both ways)
1. achieve two mutually exclusive objectives; benefit from two different situations that do not normally go together:
- Simon is trying to walk both sides of the street by saying one thing to the business community and another to his union mates.
2. (sl.) have both homosexual and heterosexual tastes:
- Everyone’s sexuality is governed by their own heart, and whether it changes or not, or walks both sides of the street, is completely up to fate.
Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase have the best of both worlds— = walk both sides of the street 1:
- You can have the best of both worlds by spending your holiday sailing yet being able to live ashore in warm, dry comfort.
Cf.: have the worst of both worlds—have two disadvantages in a bad situation:
- We have the worst of both worlds: responsibility in the eyes of international opinion, but precious little power to determine events.