Common Italian expression
| Pronunciation | |
| Literal translation | To have an ace in your sleeve |
| English translation | To have an ace up your sleeve |
| Meaning | To have a secret advantage or a hidden resource that can be used when needed |
Examples
| Lorenzo ha sempre un asso nella manica. È un ragazzo pieno di risorse. | Lorenzo always has an ace up his sleeve. He is a resourceful guy. |
| Sembrava che Paolo stesse perdendo, ma in realtà nascondeva un asso nella manica. | It looked like Paul was losing, but in fact, he was hiding an ace up his sleeve. |
| Il baro nascondeva l’asso di cuori nella manica. | The cheater was hiding the ace of hearts in his sleeve. |
Where does this idiom come from?
This idiomatic expression probably comes from the habit of card sharps who used to hide aces up their sleeves. Even if it comes from a bad habit, it’s worth noting that it has no negative connotation nowadays.
Related lessons
- avere (to have)
- asso (ace)
- manica (sleeve)
- prepositions
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