1
general::
Phrase(s): nip and tuck
Fig. almost even; almost tied. • The horses ran nip and tuck for the first half of the race. Then my horse pulled ahead. • In the football game last Saturday, both teams were nip and tuck throughout the game.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Very close so that the advantage or lead of competitors keeps shifting, as in It was nip and tuck whether they would deal with the bill before Congress adjourned. The precise allusion in this term has been lost. [Early 1800s] Also see NECK AND NECK.
American Heritage Idioms