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Use “go hand in hand” to say that two things are closely connected or tend to occur together. In a code review, pair it with the specific concerns you mean, then make the requested change or discussion clear. For example: “Clear naming and easier maintenance go hand in hand here. Could we rename x to parsedCount so the next reader can see what it represents?”
What does “go hand in hand” mean?
Cambridge defines the idiom as describing things that exist together and are connected; its full dictionary entry also covers a close relationship in which one thing happens at the same time as, or as a result of, another. Collins describes things that are closely connected and cannot be considered separately. Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary, Cambridge English Dictionary, and Collins English Dictionary therefore support using the phrase for a relationship or association.
The phrase by itself does not establish that one thing causes the other. If a review comment needs to make a causal claim, explain the mechanism instead of relying on the idiom.
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Use the phrase to connect two concrete points, such as readability and maintainability, and make sure the comment still tells the author what you noticed and what could change. A useful review comment identifies the code concern, explains why it matters, and asks for a clear change or invites discussion.
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For example: “Clear naming and easier maintenance go hand in hand here. Could we rename x to parsedCount so the next reader can see what it represents?” The first sentence links the two concerns; the question makes the requested action explicit.
The idiom also fits broader review practices. GitHub’s guide to optimizing code reviews uses it to connect asynchronous communication skills with treating pull requests as passive documentation. Google Testing Blog’s 2016 archive discusses relationships reviewers may describe similarly: style guides and consistency, small changes and lower risk or easier rollback, and code reviews and knowledge sharing. In each case, name the particular connection rather than leaving readers to infer what the phrase means.
When to state the cause directly
Use “go hand in hand” when you mean that two concerns are associated or tend to appear together. If your point is that a specific code choice produces a specific result, state that cause and effect directly. For instance, rather than saying two things “go hand in hand” when you mean one makes the other harder, explain how the code choice creates that difficulty. This keeps the review precise and gives the author something actionable to address.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsShould you hyphenate “hand in hand”?
Write the idiom as the verb phrase “go hand in hand.” Hyphenation can vary when the words are used as a modifier, and there is no universal code-review-specific rule established here. Follow the project’s style guide; if it does not specify a convention, use the unhyphenated verb phrase. An example of a style guide discussing this kind of convention is the Art & Logic A+L Style Guide.
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