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[1025] Keep your cards close to your chest

🎲 Play your cards right
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To keep your plans, intentions, knowledge, or advantages secret; to be cautious and not reveal too much information.

Origin

  • A metaphor originating from card games like poker.
  • Players physically hold their playing cards close to their body (chest/vest) to prevent opponents from seeing them and gaining an advantage.
  • This translates to keeping strategic information hidden in other contexts.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Play it close to the vest. (Almost identical meaning and origin)
  • Keep mum. / Stay quiet.
  • Keep it under wraps.
  • Don't reveal your hand. (Another card game metaphor)
  • Be discreet. / Be secretive.

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Keep it on the down-low. / Keep it on the DL. (Keep it secret/quiet)
  • Stay cagey. (Be evasive or secretive)
  • Don't spill the beans. (Don't reveal the secret information)

Milder/Standard:

  • Maintain confidentiality. (Formal)
  • Exercise discretion.
  • Withhold information.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Appropriate in most contexts, from informal chat to business strategy discussions.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Learners might initially think of literal cards. Clarify the poker metaphor and the meaning of secrecy about plans or information.

Examples

  • The company is keeping its cards close to its chest regarding the new product launch.
  • He's very competitive; he always keeps his cards close to his chest during negotiations.
  • I'm not sure what her next move will be; she tends to keep her cards close to her chest.

Dialogue

Agent 1: Have you shared our negotiation strategy with the other party yet?

Agent 2: No way. In this kind of deal, it's best to keep our cards close to our chest until the final stages.

Agent 1: Agreed. Let them make the first major concession.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Apple is keeping its cards close to its chest about the upcoming iPhone features. The rumor mill is buzzing! #Apple #iPhoneLaunch
  • LinkedIn Post: In competitive bidding, sometimes the best tactic is to keep your cards close to your chest. Reveal only what's necessary. #BusinessStrategy #Negotiation

Response Patterns

  • Good strategy.
  • Why? What are you planning? (If directed at the speaker)
  • Yeah, you never know who's listening.
  • That makes sense in this situation.
  • It's hard to know what they're thinking then.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • If someone is advised to keep their cards close: They usually acknowledge the advice (Will do, Good point).
  • If someone is described as keeping cards close: The conversation might involve speculation about their hidden plans (I wonder what they're really up to?).
  • The person keeping secrets continues to be discreet.

Conversation Starter

  • No. Typically used as advice or description within a conversation.

Intonation

  • Often said with a slightly secretive or cautionary tone.
  • Stress typically on CARDS, CLOSE, and CHEST.
  • Example: Keep your CARDS CLOSE to your CHEST.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all major English-speaking regions. Play it close to the vest might be slightly more common in American English.
Size someone up
🎲 Play your cards right