matter of chance; touch and go
Refers to something whose outcome depends on luck or circumstances, often used in contexts like gambling or uncertain situations.
The match is a matter of chance, so you never know until the end.
The weather is touch and go; forecasts can be wrong.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; also seen.
Compound of 調子 (condition, state) and 物 (thing). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely refers to something whose state or outcome is variable.