Is “it takes two to tango” also used in purely positive contexts?

Question

I have been looking at the origin and definition of “it takes two to tango”, and it seems that the expression is often used with a negative connotation, or at least in neutral contexts.

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For example, several definitions I found highlight the use of this expression to indicate responsibility for a situation or argument. See below (emphasis mine).

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms:

Two parties involved in a certain action or situation, especially a wrong that has been committed, are usually both responsible in some way.

Collins Dictionary

…a situation or argument involves two people and they are both therefore responsible for it.

Cambridge Dictionary

said when you want to emphasize that both people involved in a difficult situation must accept the blame, or that an activity needs two people who are willing to take part for it to happen

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:

used to say that if a problem involves two people, then both people are equally responsible

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I would like to know if this expression is also used in very positive contexts. I imagine something like this:

– You’re amazing! You did it!
– It takes two to tango. I couldn’t have done it without you!

PS: If this doesn’t work, I am interested to know if there is a more appropriate idiom out there for such scenarios.

Answer 1

I think your example is fine.

it takes two to tango

The active cooperation of both parties is needed for some enterprises, as in We'll never pass this bill unless both parties work out a compromise—it takes two to tango. This expression dates from the 1920s, when the Latin American tango became a very popular dance. It was popularized by the singer Pearl Bailey in her 1952 hit song of that name written by Al Hoffman and Dick Manning.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (On a Farlex page) (The song)

tango (n.)

figurative. Frequently in proverbial phrase it takes two to tango.

1952 There are lots of things you can do alone! But, takes two to tango.
Hoffman & Manning, Takes Two to Tango (song) 2
[OED online]

Note also:

It takes two to tango is a common idiomatic expression which suggests something in which more than one person or other entity are paired in an inextricably-related and active manner, occasionally with negative connotations
Wikipedia

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Examples illustrating the positive, cooperative side of the expression:

It take two to tango. It takes many more for a book. let me first thank two colleagues for their never failing and enthusiastic help in launching this book...
Helmuth Nyborg (ed.); The Scientific Study of General Intelligence (2003)

It takes two to tango: Strong public-private collaboration is key for discovering an implementing effective productive development policies to bring out the best in existing economic activities and to foster economic transformation.
Blurb for Eduardo Fernández-Arias et al.; Two to Tango: Public-Private Collaboration for Productive Development Policies (2016)

It illustrates that we cannot perform without the interplay between formal structures and relational mechanisms. It takes two to tango. And it also takes several parties to deliver a successful project, making interorganizational collaboration a key focus area for many researches (Nezmi et al. 2022).
Marian Bosch-Rekveldt and Hans Bakker; "Key Drivers for Collaboration in Construction" in Sina Moradi et al. (eds.); Routledge Handbook of Collaboration in Construction (2024)

It Takes Two to Tango

In order for a group to create something together, the various participants all need the ability to lead and to surrender.
Heinz Robert; Vibrant Collaboration (2021)

He reminded us once again that in the area of leadership, as in so many other areas of human endeavor, it takes two to tango.
Richard Couto; Reflections on Leadership (2007)

In a sense, the concept of It Takes Two to Tango is the essence of successful marriages. A marriage is the joining of two people who work together as a team, sharing everything, and always supporting each other.
Charles Schmitz and ‎Elizabeth Schmitz; Building a Love that Lasts (2011)

Gary Smalley and Norma Smalley; It Takes Two to Tango: More Than 250 Secrets to Communication, Romance and Intimacy in Marriage (1967)