IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishkeep one's cards close to one's chest
Meaning: To keep one's plans or intentions secret.
Example: “The coach is keeping his cards close to his chest about who will start on Saturday.”
Origin: From card games such as poker, where a player holds the hand close so no one can see it. The American form is "close to the vest"; the "chest" version is more common in Britain. The first recorded use has not been firmly dated.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Avancer masqué Literally: To advance masked
More English idioms
- not sleep a wink To not sleep at all.
- work oneself into a lather To become very agitated, anxious or angry.
- welcome with open arms To greet or accept someone with great warmth and enthusiasm.
- count on the fingers of one hand To be very few in number, five or fewer.
- give someone an earful To scold someone at length, or tell them angrily what one thinks.
- one's eyes pop out of one's head To be astonished, often at something striking or desirable.
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