up one's sleeve

English

Etymology

From the practice of magicians hiding tricks or gimmicks in the sleeve.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Prepositional phrase

up one's sleeve

1. (idiomatic) Hidden and ready to be produced as needed; in reserve.

   I have tried everything I can think of, and I don't have anything more up my sleeve.

Usage notes

• In this sense, the phrase most commonly occurs after a nominal such as ace, trick, surprise, something, more, nothing, anything.

Translations

hidden, in reserve

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 锦囊妙计 (zh) (jǐnnángmiàojì)

• Finnish: hihassa
• French: dans sa manche
• German: im Ärmel
• Icelandic: luma á (verb), eiga í pokahorninu (verb), lúra á (verb), hafa í bakhöndinni (verb)
• Italian: avere un asso nella manica
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: w rękawie, w zanadrzu
• Portuguese: na manga
• Russian: за па́зухой (ru) (za pázuxoj), исподтишка́ (ru) (ispodtišká) (secretly)
• Spanish: debajo de la manga

See also

• nothing-up-my-sleeve number
• roll up one's sleeves