play it close to one's chest

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Idioms and Phrases

Be secretive or cautious, give nothing away, as in We've no idea how many tickets they sold; they play it close to their chests . This expression, which is also put as play one's cards close to one's chest , alludes to holding one's cards up against one's chest, so that no one else can see them. [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

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April 25, 2024firkin

[fur-kin ]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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