come and go

come and go (third-person singular simple present comes and goes, present participle coming and going, simple past came and went, past participle come and gone)

1. To alternately enter and exit, arrive and depart (either physically or figuratively)

   He comes and goes as he pleases.

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:

     Shepard: This isn't a station; it's a city.
     Kaidan: There must be millions here. It can't be possible to track everyone coming and going.

2. To repeatedly appear and disappear; to be transient

   My headaches come and go, but the pain in my neck is constant.

   • 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Opportunities came and went as Kuyt's deflected shot from an angle cannoned back off the woodwork and Carroll twice fired over after right-wing crosses from Kuyt and Johnson picked him out.

   • 28 March 2023, Graeme McGarry, “Scott McTominay earns place in history as Scotland stun Spain”, in The Herald‎:

     Another chance came and went as Ryan Christie’s direct running allowed him to advance right to the edge of the Spanish box before toe-poking just wide, but as the half wore on, the Scottish midfield were more often than not playing the part of destroyers.

• coming and going
• ebb and flow
• here today, gone tomorrow