Play One's Cards Close To One's Chest Idiom American Expressions and American Idioms - What does Play One's Cards Close To One's Chest Idiom mean?

This database is a comprehensive collection of all the American idioms and slang available. American Idioms are many and varied. We hope you enjoy our collection. We are adding more all the time. .

play one's cards close to one's chest What does play one's cards close to one's chest mean?	to work or negotiate in a careful and private manner	I played my cards close to my chest when I went to the bank to negotiate for a loan.
play one's cards close to one's chest What does play one's cards close to one's chest mean?	negotiate in a careful and private manner	I played my cards close to my chest when I went to talk to my supervisor about changing jobs.
play one's cards close to one's chest What does play one's cards close to one's chest mean?	to be secretive and cautious about something	My colleague was playing his cards close to his chest when he began to talk to our competitor.
play one's cards close to one's chest What does play one's cards close to one's chest mean?	be extremely secretive and cautious about something (holding playing cards close to your chest so the other players can't see them)	be extremely secretive and cautious about something (holding playing cards close to your chest so the other players can't see them)My boss always plays his cards close to his chest when he is negotiating with another company.
	Some Random Idioms
pick on (someone) What does "pick on (someone)" mean?	to do or say bad things to someone	The boy always picked on his sister when they were children.

stand off (someone or something) What does "stand off (someone or something)" mean?	to keep someone or something from coming near or winning	We were able to stand off the other teams and win the tournament.
looney What does "looney" mean?	mentally unstable person
Hold on! What does "Hold on!" mean?	wait a minute, stop, wait and not hang up the phone	"Please hold on for a minute while I go back and lock the window."
know (something) in one's bones What does "know (something) in one's bones" mean?	to know and sense something, to have an intuition about something	I know it in my bones that I am not going to pass my English exam.
double-header What does "double-header" mean?	two games (usually baseball) that are played one after the other and are played in front of the same crowd	We were tired after watching a double-header last night.
early bird What does "early bird" mean?	a person who gets up early or arrives early for something	My sister is an early bird and gets up very early every morning.

Dog-whistle politics What does "Dog-whistle politics" mean?	(AU) When political parties have policies that will appeal to racists while not being overtly racist, they are indulging in dog-whistle politics.
pull one's hair out What does "pull one's hair out" mean?	to be angry/upset/worried about something	My friend began to pull her hair out when she discovered that she had no nice clothes for the party.
he who lives by the sword dies by the sword What does "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword" mean?	people who commit violent acts will encounter violence themselves	people who commit violent acts will encounter violence themselvesThe young man was involved in selling illegal drugs and he was found murdered. Sadly, he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.
(to be) hot and bothered What does "(to be) hot and bothered" mean?	excited and worried, displeased	I don`t know what is wrong with her but she is hot and bothered about something.
Fly on the wall What does "Fly on the wall" mean?	If you are able to see and hear events as they happen, you are a fly on the wall.

American Idioms and Expressions

Play One's Cards Close To One's Chest Idiom