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Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - Saigontre

Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - Saigontre

Commonly-Used Idioms, Sayings and phrasal verbs - Saigontre

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play it safe<br />

- to avoid taking a risk<br />

The father always plays it safe when he goes swimming with his son.<br />

play off<br />

- to settle a score between two teams or contestants by playing another game/match<br />

Our team had to play off against the other team before we went to the championship.<br />

play off (one group against another)<br />

- to match opposing persons/forces/interests for one`s own gain<br />

Nobody likes the supervisor because he is always trying to play off one group of<br />

workers against another.<br />

play on/upon (something)<br />

- to cause an effect on something, to influence something<br />

The company played on the feelings of loneliness of the people to get them to buy<br />

more products.<br />

a play on words<br />

- a humorous use of a word to suggest a different meaning<br />

Newspaper headlines often use a play on words to give a different meaning to a<br />

sentence.<br />

play one's cards close to one's chest<br />

- to work or negotiate in a careful <strong>and</strong> private manner<br />

I played my cards close to my chest when I went to the bank to negotiate for a loan.<br />

664<br />

Mr_doody2004@yahoo.com

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