Let's Talk About Trump
This is an episode that I’ve been meaning to make for a while. Let’s talk about ‘trump’ today.
In fact, there are many phrases in English that originate from cards and gambling, so this episode looks at some of the common ones and how you can use them in your daily life.
As always, I give examples from my own life to help put these phrases in a natural context for you.
Card-Related Expressions
🃏 Trump Someone
Meaning: To outdo, surpass, or beat someone by doing something better.
Example: She trumped his argument with solid evidence.
🎴 Play Your Cards Right
Meaning: To make the right decisions or do things in the best possible way to achieve success.
Example: If you play your cards right, you could get the promotion next year.
🃏 Hold All the Cards
Meaning: To have the most power or control in a situation, especially when making decisions.
Example: In this negotiation, the company holds all the cards because they have the best offer.
🂠 Up Your Sleeve
Meaning: To have a secret plan or advantage that you can use when needed.
Example: She always has something up her sleeve to impress her clients.
🃏 Dealt a Bad Hand
Meaning: To be given a difficult or unfair situation, often beyond your control.
Example: She was dealt a bad hand when she lost her job right before Christmas.
⭐️ Transcript & Bonus Lesson
Can you use one of these to talk about your own life?
Comment your thoughts below.
Thanks a lot!
Good day! Thanks again for the useful podcast delivered by you.
May I ask a question on grammar not concerning today’s topic? Can we use negative clause after “unless”?
Thanks in advance.
Good question! Yes, grammatically we can, although it can sometimes sound a bit confusing.
For example:
“Unless it doesn’t rain, I won’t go.”
Even though I wrote this sentence, it’s pretty hard to figure out what it means. It takes a second to think about what is being said.
It would sound better to say: Unless it’s sunny, I won’t go.
So to summarise: it’s possible, but there’s usually a better way to phrase it 🙂
By this month, I will have been living in the UK for one year, and I have started listening to podcasts. Yours is one of the top on my list. I like your topics, and your way of speaking is friendly. Besides these factors, voice tone is very important for me when following a podcast, and yours is one of the best. I learn a lot while listening, not only new expressions and words but also useful information about living in the UK and its culture. Thanks a lot!
Thanks for listening, Zeinab! High praise! I really appreciate your kind words and hope life in the UK is going well for you