up one's sleeve

up one's sleeve
or[in one's sleeve] {adv. phr.} 1. Hidden in the sleeve of one's shirt or coat and ready for secret or wrongful use. * /The crooked gambler hid aces up his sleeve during the card game so that he would win./ 2. {informal} Kept secretly ready for the right time or for a time when needed. * /Jimmy knew that his father had some trick up his sleeve because he was smiling to himself during the checker game./ Compare: CARD UP ONE'S SLEEVE. 3. See: LAUGH UP ONE'S SLEEVE.

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • in\ one's\ sleeve — • up one s sleeve • in one s sleeve adv. phr. 1. Hidden in the sleeve of one s shirt or coat and ready for secret or wrongful use. The crooked gambler hid aces up his sleeve during the card game so that he would win. 2. informal Kept secretly… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • up\ one's\ sleeve — • up one s sleeve • in one s sleeve adv. phr. 1. Hidden in the sleeve of one s shirt or coat and ready for secret or wrongful use. The crooked gambler hid aces up his sleeve during the card game so that he would win. 2. informal Kept secretly… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • up one's sleeve — or[in one s sleeve] {adv. phr.} 1. Hidden in the sleeve of one s shirt or coat and ready for secret or wrongful use. * /The crooked gambler hid aces up his sleeve during the card game so that he would win./ 2. {informal} Kept secretly ready for… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • up one's sleeve — phrasal : held secretly in reserve has an emergency plan up his sleeve * * * up one s sleeve To laugh privately or unperceived ● sleeve * * * (of a strategy, idea, or resource) kept secret and in reserve for use when needed he was new to the game …   Useful english dictionary

  • up one's sleeve — ► up one s sleeve kept secret and in reserve for use when needed. Main Entry: ↑sleeve …   English terms dictionary

  • in one's sleeve — See: UP ONE S SLEEVE …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • in one's sleeve — See: UP ONE S SLEEVE …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • up one's sleeve — idi up one s sleeve, kept hidden, esp. for future use against another …   From formal English to slang

  • in one's sleeve — To laugh inwardly ● laugh …   Useful english dictionary

  • To laugh up one's sleeve — Sleeve Sleeve, n. [OE. sleeve, sleve, AS. sl?fe, sl?fe; akin to sl?fan to put on, to clothe; cf. OD. sloove the turning up of anything, sloven to turn up one s sleeves, sleve a sleeve, G. schlaube a husk, pod.] 1. The part of a garment which… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”