Idioms From the Card Table
Instructions: Play your hand at phrases dealt from card games, such as "an ace up your sleeve," "the cards are stacked," and "follow suit."
- 1.
When someone has a secret advantage they are saving for the right moment, we say they have "an ace up their _____."
AsleeveBpocketChatDhand - 2.
If you "follow suit," what are you doing?
ADoing the same thing as someone elseBWearing a matching outfitCFiling a lawsuitDDealing cards to everyone - 3.
When the odds are unfairly against you from the start, people say "the cards are stacked _____ you."
AagainstBbehindCunderDover - 4.
To "show your hand" means to reveal what?
AYour true plans or intentionsBYour palm to a fortune tellerCThat you are cheatingDHow many cards you hold - 5.
"Playing your cards right" means making the most of your opportunities through what?
AClever decisions and good judgmentBWinning at pokerCBeing honest with everyoneDWorking as hard as possible - 6.
If someone is described as a "wild card," they are best described as which of the following?
AAn unpredictable person whose actions are hard to foreseeBSomeone who enjoys gamblingCA very talented and reliable team memberDA person who cheats at games - 7.
When you "lay your cards on the table," you are doing what?
ABeing completely open and honest about your situationBQuitting a game earlyCChallenging someone to a contestDAsking for help from a friend - 8.
To "trump" someone's argument means to do what to it?
ADefeat or surpass it with something more powerfulBAgree with it completelyCRepeat it more loudlyDIgnore it and change the subject - 9.
When someone "calls your bluff," they are doing what?
ADemanding proof that you can actually do what you claimedBAccusing you of telling a lieCRaising the stakes in a negotiationDAsking you to repeat yourself more clearly - 10.
The phrase "in the cards" (or "on the cards" in British English) means something is which of the following?
ALikely or destined to happenBCompletely impossibleCAlready finishedDA well-kept secret - 11.
When someone plays "the trump card" in an argument or negotiation, what have they done?
AUsed their most powerful or decisive advantage to settle the matterBAdmitted defeat gracefullyCChanged the rules midway throughDBrought in a third party to judge the dispute - 12.
If a plan is described as a "long shot" that someone must "play" because it is their "last card," what does "last card" mean in this context?
AThe only option remaining when all others have been exhaustedBThe weakest choice availableCA final attempt to cheat the systemDA card that ends the game immediately - 13.
To "deal someone in" on a plan means what?
ATo include them and give them a share in what is happeningBTo warn them about a potential dangerCTo assign them the most difficult part of a taskDTo deceive them about your true intentions - 14.
The expression "close to the chest" (often "playing it close to the chest") comes from the habit of holding your cards how, and means what in everyday life?
AHeld tightly so opponents cannot see them, meaning keeping plans or information privateBDealt face-down on the table, meaning planning in secretCSpread wide for all to see, meaning being very generousDShuffled repeatedly, meaning being indecisive - 15.
The idiom "above board" means honest and transparent. The "board" in this phrase originally referred to what surface in a card game?
AThe table, because keeping hands above the table proved you were not secretly swapping cards below itBA scoreboard, because writing scores publicly showed fair playCA wooden board used to shuffle cards, showing they were not markedDA raised platform where referees watched for cheating
Answer Key
Cheaters in old card games would sometimes hide an ace up their sleeve to play at a critical moment. Today the phrase means any hidden advantage kept in reserve.
In card games, following suit means playing a card of the same suit that was led. In everyday life, the phrase means to copy or do the same thing as the person before you.
A card cheat might secretly stack, or arrange, a deck so that certain players received bad hands. Today the phrase describes any situation where circumstances are unfairly set against someone.
In poker, showing your hand at the end means revealing your cards to the table. In everyday speech, showing your hand means letting others know your true strategy or intentions before you are ready.
Just as a skilled card player can win even with a mediocre hand by making smart moves, playing your cards right in life means using whatever you have wisely to reach a good outcome.
In certain card games, a wild card can stand in for any card and its value is unknown until played. In everyday language, a wild card is someone or something unpredictable that could change a situation in any direction.
Laying cards face-up on the table leaves nothing hidden from other players. The idiom means to be fully transparent, sharing all relevant facts without holding anything back.
In trick-taking card games, a trump card belongs to a suit that automatically beats cards of all other suits. To trump someone's idea or argument means to override it with a stronger point.
In poker, bluffing means betting as though you have a strong hand when you do not. When an opponent calls your bluff, they match your bet and force you to reveal your cards. In life, calling someone's bluff means challenging them to prove their claim.
The phrase comes from cartomancy, the practice of reading playing cards to predict the future. If something is in the cards, it seems probable or fated based on the way things are going.
A trump card in card games outranks all others. Using a trump card in conversation or negotiation means deploying the single most decisive argument or advantage that is very hard for others to beat.
Playing your last card means using the only resource or option you have left. Once it is played, you have nothing more in reserve, so the phrase conveys both urgency and finality.
When a dealer deals someone into a card game, that person receives a hand and becomes a participant. In everyday speech, dealing someone in means including them in a plan, project, or opportunity.
Card players hold their hands close to their chests so no one nearby can peek at the cards. Keeping something close to the chest in daily life means being secretive and cautious about sharing your plans or feelings.
Gamblers who moved their hands below the table were suspected of secretly switching cards or passing chips to confederates. Keeping everything above the board (table) showed you had nothing to hide, giving us the phrase meaning fully open and legitimate.