Card Idioms - English Vocabulary with Jennifer

Hi everyone. I'm Jennifer from English with  Jennifer. You know, there was a time when I  

not only played cards a lot, I collected decks of  cards. Let me show you some from my collection.  

Do you know how to play any card games? I used  to sit around the table with my grandmother,  

my cousin, and my brothers, and we'd  play hand after hand. That means  

one round of a game after another. To play any  card game, you need a deck of cards. The decks  

that I'm used to playing with have 52 cards and  4 suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades.

The cards are numbered two through ten.  

Then you have the face cards: jack,  queen, king, and the A stands for ace.

Depending on the game you play, an  ace can be worth 1 or 11 points.  

There are also two jokers, but I've never  played any card games that needed them.

Before you play a game, you  have to shuffle the cards.  

What does that mean? You have to mix them up.

After I shuffle, I deal the cards  to each player. I'm the dealer.

When it's your turn, you play the cards  you're given. Card games are popular,  

so it's not surprising that we have lots of idioms  connected to these games. I'll share four. Okay?

Life challenges us with different events. In 2020,  

many of us have had to change our  lifestyles due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

These changes may not be ideal, but we each have  to play the hand we're dealt. What does this mean?

B. When you play the hand you're  dealt, you accept the situation,  

but it's also about making use of what you have.

You need to make the most of the situation.

In a card game, you're given a set of cards, and  you have to do your best to win using those cards.

November is an important time in politics. We  focus on elections. Politicians work hard for  

many months to win our vote. Maybe someone looks  like they're on their way to losing. But maybe,  

just maybe they have an ace up their sleeve, like  support from a celebrity. What does this mean?

C. Having an ace up your sleeve in cards refers to  cheating, but in life it means you have a plan or  

a resource that not everyone knows about. You  can use that at some point to your advantage,  

so it's not about cheating;  it's about having an advantage.

You can even say it about yourself: Don't worry  about me. I still have an ace up my sleeve.  

That means you still have a plan to succeed.

Imagine your neighbor has some strange ideas  about spies and aliens. He wraps his head with  

aluminum foil to prevent people from reading or  controlling his mind. Your opinion of all this?  

He is not playing with a full deck. What does this  mean? B. He is crazy, or at least a little bit.  

Let's face it. We're not always kind  when we make remarks about other people.  

If you want to say or suggest that someone  is either a little crazy or somewhat stupid,  

you can say they're not playing with a full  deck. You can add some modifiers: He's not  

exactly playing with a full deck. She's not quite  playing with a full deck, if you know what I mean.

Let's say you have a job, but  you're not happy with what you earn.  

You know you've proven yourself, and you want  your company to recognize your worth. It's been  

four years in the same position. You could remain  quiet and hope that eventually they'll reward you,  

or you could meet with your boss and lay  your cards on the table. What does this mean?

A. A round of cards ends when everyone knows  

what cards each player has. They all lay their  cards on the table. They reveal their cards.

So, laying your cards on the table in everyday  life means that you're completely honest.  

You tell people your plans or your true  thoughts and hope that they treat you favorably.  

Do you remember all four idioms? Match  the expressions to their meanings.

Try this quiz. Choose the best  expression to complete the sentence.

Joshua has been dating Emma for nine  months. He's convinced that she's the one.  

This weekend, he plans to  lay his cards on the table.  

He'll tell Emma everything in his  heart and ask her to marry him.

My Uncle Ethan is a nice guy, but  he's not playing with a full deck.  

For the third time this decade, he's predicting  the end of the world by a large asteroid.

The employees will have to take a 10% pay  cut, but no one is complaining. They have to  

play the hand they're dealt and hope that when  the economy improves, their income will too.  

Until then, they'll keep their jobs and  work hard to make the company successful.

Kayla hopes her high grades will get  her into the university of her choice,  

but if her academic record isn't strong  enough, she still has an ace up her sleeve.  

She plays the cello, and she knows the university  orchestra is always looking for good musicians.

That's all for now. Please like the  video if you found it useful and  

interesting. As always, thanks  for watching and happy studies!

Thank you to all the members of my channel.  And you Super and Truly Marvelous Members,  

look out for the next bonus video.  

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