not miss a trick

Idioms & Phrases

not miss a trick

Also, never miss a trick; not miss much. Not fail to be aware of what is going on. For example, When it comes to the commodities market, Mark never misses a trick, or Dad may seem absentminded, but he doesn't miss much. The first phrase dates from the early 1900s; the variant employs miss in the sense of "fail to perceive," a usage dating from the late 1600s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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