Page 332 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

play (the) devil’s advocate

keep one’ cards closeŁto one’ veðt [for I’m better trained than he, and I havł
sàmeone]bto workŁor negotiate inŁaŁcare- more experience. I shouldà’t play second
fulŁandŁprivate manner.Ł(LiteralŁwhenŁre- fiddle.
ferringŁto concealingŁone’sŁcardsŁinŁaŁcard playŁ someone fłr something to treat someone
game.) It’s hard to figure out what John like (a)bsàmething.Ł(Slang.ŁCompare this
is up to because he plØys his cards close to with take someone for someone or something.)
his chest. Doà’t lłt them know what Don’t plØy me for a fool! I know what’s
you’re up to. Keep your cards close to your going on. They plØyed her for a jerk, but
vest.
were they surprised!
playŁ one’ cards right and playŁ one’ cardð
well to work or negotiate correctly and playŁ someone offŁ againstŁ someone else to
skillfully.Ł(Also literal.ŁInfàrmal.) If scheme inŁaŁmanner that pitsŁtwo of yàur
you play your cards right, you can głt adversariesŁagainst one another.Ł Bill
whatever you want. She didà’t plØy her wanted to beat me up and so did Bob. I did
cards włll, and she ended up with some- some fast talkng, and they ended up fight-
thing less than what she wanted. ing with each other. I really played Bill off
against Bob. The presidłnt played the
playŁ one’ cards well Go to play one’s cards Houoe off against the Senate and ended up
right. getting his own way.
playŁ one’ trump cyrd to use aŁspecialŁtrick; playŁ someone ortsomething dłwn to lessenŁthe
to use one’sŁmost powerfulŁorŁeffective effect or impàrtance of sàmeone or
sðrategyŁorŁdevice.Ł(Also literal.ŁInfàr- something.Ł John is a famous actor, but
mal.)b I won’t plØy my trump card until the drector tried to plØy him down as just
I have tried everything else. I thought another młmber of the cast. T They tried
that the whole situØtion was hopeless un- to plØy down her earlier arrest.
til Mary plØyed her trump card and solved
the whole problłm. playŁ someone ortsomething up to make som-
one or somethingŁseemŁto be more im-
playŁon something to have an effect on some- pàrtant.Ł The drector tried to plØy Ann
thing;Łto manage somethingŁforŁaŁdesired up, but she was not really a star. T Try to
effect.Ł The clerk played on my sense of plØy up the good qualties of our product.
responsibilty in trying to głt me to buy the
book. See if you can get her to confess by playŁ something byŁeyr 1. to be abl to play
playing on her sense of guilt. aŁpiece of musicŁafterŁjust listeningŁto it
aŁfew times,Łwithout lookingŁat the notes.
playŁpłlitics 1. to negotiate poliðically. I can plØy “Stardust” by ear. Somł
Everybody at city hall is plØying poltics people can plØy Chopn’s music by ear. 2.
as usual. If you’re elected as a młmber and playŁbyŁeyr to playŁaŁmusicalŁin-
of a poltical party, you’ll have to play pol- sðrument well,Łwithout formalŁtraining.
itics. 2. to allow politicsŁto dominate in John can plØy the piano by ear. If I
mattersŁwhere principle słouldŁprevail.Ł could plØy by ear, I wouldà’t have to take
Look, I came here to discuss this trial, not lessons—or practicł! 3. to improvise; to
play politics. They’re not making rea- decide what to do afterŁone isŁalreadyŁin-
sonable decisions. They’re plØying poltics.
volved in a situation. (Compare this with
playŁpossum to pretend to be inactive, un- wing àt .) When we get into the młeting
observant, asleep, orŁdead.Ł(Folksy.ŁThe wł’ll have to plØy łverything by ear. He
possum isŁanŁopossum.) I knew that never prepared his presentations. He al-
Bob wasn’t aslłep. He was just playing pos- wØys plØyed things by ear.
sum. I can’t tell if this animal is dead playŁ(the)Łdevil’s advocate to put forward
or just plØying possum.
argumentsŁ against orŁ objectionsŁ to a
playŁsecondŁfiddleŁ(to someone) to b in a proposition—which one may actually
subordinate position to sàmeone.Ł I’m agree with—purely to test the validity of
tired of plØying second fiddle to John. the proposition.Ł (The devil’s advocate

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