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.

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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms


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	card up one's sleeve [card up one's sleeve] {n. phr.}, {informal} Another help, plan, or argument kept back and ... A Dictionary of American Idioms sleeve [sleeve] See: CARD UP ONE'S SLEEVE, LAUGH UP ONE'S SLEEVE or LAUGH IN ONE'S SLEEVE, ... A Dictionary of American Idioms laugh up one's sleeve [laugh up one's sleeve] or [laugh in one's sleeve] or [laugh in one's beard] To ... A Dictionary of American Idioms wear one's heart on one's sleeve [wear one's heart on one's sleeve] also [pin one's heart on one's sleeve] {v. phr.} ... A Dictionary of American Idioms ace in the hole [ace in the hole] {n. phr.} 1. An ace given to a player face down ... A Dictionary of American Idioms pin one's heart on one's sleeve [pin one's heart on one's sleeve] See: WEAR ONE'S HEART ON ONE'S SLEEVE. A Dictionary of American Idioms beard [beard] See: LAUNCH UP ONE'S SLEEVE or LAUGH IN ONE'S SLEEVE or LAUGH IN ONE'S ... A Dictionary of American Idioms

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