to play one's cards right

So that old scoundrel's dead, is he? He might have been a peer if he had played his cards better. (W. Thackeray, ‘Vanity Fair’, ch. XI) — Итак, старый негодяй умер, не правда ли? Он мог бы стать пэром, если бы действовал более умело.

Oh, why hadn't she played her cards better? - he'd been sent by Providence - and she'd stubbed him. (K. Mansfield, ‘In a German Pension’, ‘The Swing of the Pendulum’) — Но почему же она не использовала обстоятельств? Этот человек был послан ей судьбой, а она оттолкнула его.

We're cleverer than they are and if we play our cards well we shall come out on top. (W. S. Maugham, ‘Complete Short Stories’, ‘The Unconquered’) — Мы поумнее их и, если сумеем пустить в ход свои козыри, еще окажемся в выигрыше.

‘Thou'st played thy cards badly, then,’ replied her father, in a surly tone. ‘At one time he were desperate fond o' thee or I'm much mistaken.’ (E. Gaskell ‘Mary Barton’, ch. XI) — - Тогда, значит, ты плохо разыграла свои карты, - сердито буркнул отец. - Одно время Джемс был без ума от тебя, если я не ошибаюсь.

put on a play — ein Stück aufführen

say/do something in play — etwas aus od. im od. zum Spaß sagen/tun

play [up]on words — Wortspiel, das

be in/out of play — [Ball:] im Spiel/aus [dem Spiel] sein

make a play for somebody/something — (fig. coll.) hinter jemandem/etwas her sein (ugs.); es auf jemanden/etwas abgesehen haben

give full play to one's emotions/imagination — etc. (fig.) seinen Gefühlen/seiner Fantasie usw. freien Lauf lassen

the play of light on water — das Spiel des Lichts auf Wasser

not have much time to play with — (coll.) zeitlich nicht viel Spielraum haben

play into somebody's hands — (fig.) jemandem in die Hand od. Hände arbeiten

play safe — sichergehen; auf Nummer Sicher gehen (ugs.)

play the violin — etc. Geige usw. spielen

play something on the piano — etc. etwas auf dem Klavier usw. spielen

play something by ear — etwas nach dem Gehör spielen

play it by ear — (fig.) es dem Augenblick/der Situation überlassen

play a town — in einer Stadt spielen

play the fool/innocent — den Clown/Unschuldigen spielen

play a trick/joke on somebody — jemanden hereinlegen (ugs.) /jemandem einen Streich spielen

play a match — einen Wettkampf bestreiten; (in team games) ein Spiel machen

he played me at chess/squash — er war im Schach/Squash mein Gegner

play one's cards right — (fig.) es richtig anfassen (fig.)

play the market — spekulieren (in mit od. Wirtsch. in + Dat.)

play on words — Wortspiel nt

children learn through play he lost £800 in a few hours' play — Kinder lernen beim Spiel er hat beim Spiel innerhalb von ein paar Stunden £ 800 verloren

in a clever piece of play, in a clever play (US) — in einem klugen Schachzug

there was some exciting play toward(s) the end — gegen Ende gab es einige spannende (Spiel)szenen

to be in play/out of play (ball) — im Spiel/im Aus sein

1 mm (of) play — 1 mm Spiel

to give full play to one's imagination — seiner Fantasie or Phantasie (dat) freien Lauf lassen

the game allows the child's imagination (to be given) full play — das Spiel gestattet die freie Entfaltung der kindlichen Fantasie

to make great play of sth (Brit) — viel Aufhebens von etw machen

to make great play of doing sth (Brit) — viel Wind darum machen, etw zu tun

to make a play for sth — es auf etw (acc) abgesehen haben

to play it safe — auf Nummer sicher gehen (inf)

he wouldn't play (fig inf) — er wollte nicht mitspielen (inf)

he's just playing at it — er tut nur so

what are you playing at? (inf) — was soll (denn) das? (inf)

to play for time (fig) — Zeit gewinnen wollen

to play into sb's hands (fig) — jdm in die Hände spielen

say/do something in play — etwas aus od. im od. zum Spaß sagen/tun

play [up]on words — Wortspiel, das

be in/out of play — [Ball:] im Spiel/aus [dem Spiel] sein

make a play for somebody/something — (fig. coll.) hinter jemandem/etwas her sein (ugs.); es auf jemanden/etwas abgesehen haben

give full play to one's emotions/imagination — etc. (fig.) seinen Gefühlen/seiner Fantasie usw. freien Lauf lassen

not have much time to play with — (coll.) zeitlich nicht viel Spielraum haben

play into somebody's hands — (fig.) jemandem in die Hand od. Hände arbeiten

play safe — sichergehen; auf Nummer Sicher gehen (ugs.)

play the violin — etc. Geige usw. spielen

play something on the piano — etc. etwas auf dem Klavier usw. spielen

play it by ear — (fig.) es dem Augenblick/der Situation überlassen

play a trick/joke on somebody — jemanden hereinlegen (ugs.) /jemandem einen Streich spielen

play a match — einen Wettkampf bestreiten; (in team games) ein Spiel machen

play one's cards right — (fig.) es richtig anfassen (fig.)

play the market — spekulieren (in mit od. Wirtsch. in + Dat.)

play was interrupted — se interrumpió el juego or el partido

to bring something/come into play — poner* algo/entrar en juego

to make a play for somebody/something — (also BrE)

he made a play for her — trató de ganársela or de conquistársela

radio play — obra f radiofónica

to play a jokeick on somebody — hacerle* or gastarle una broma/una jugarreta a alguien

to play somebody AT something: I used to play her at chess — jugaba ajedrez or (Esp, RPl) al ajedrez con ella

to play the market — ( Fin) jugar* a la bolsa

to play (it) straight — ser* sincero or honesto

to play with oneself — (euph) toquetearse (euf)

to play hard to get — hacerse* el (or la etc) interesante

• to be at play — estar jugando

• to do/say sth in play — hacer/decir algo en broma

to be in play — [ball] estar en juego

to be out of play — [ball] estar fuera de juego

radio/television play — obra f para radio/televisión

to be in a play — [actor] actuar en una obra

there's too much play in the clutch — el embrague tiene demasiada holgura or va demasiado suelto

• to bring or call into play — poner en juego

• to come into play — entrar en juego

• to make a play for sth/sb — intentar conseguir algo/conquistar a algn

• a play on words — un juego de palabras

to play centre-forward/centre-half etc — jugar de delantero centro/medio centro etc

• to play a game of tennis — jugar un partido de tenis

don't play games with me! — (fig) ¡no me vengas con jueguecitos!, ¡no trates de engañarme!

• to play sb at chess — jugar contra algn al ajedrez

• he played the ball into the net — (Tennis) estrelló or golpeó la pelota contra la red

• to play the market — (St Ex) jugar a la bolsa

to play the peacemaker/the devoted husband — (fig) hacer el papel de pacificador/de marido amantísimo

we could have played it differently — (fig) podríamos haber actuado de otra forma

they played the 5th Symphony — tocaron or more frm interpretaron la Quinta Sinfonía

they were playing Beethoven — tocaban or more frm interpretaban algo de Beethoven

to play with fire — (fig) jugar con fuego

to play with o.s. * — euph tocarse, masturbarse

• England are playing against Scotland in the final — Inglaterra jugará contra or se enfrentará a Escocia en la final

• to play at chess — jugar al ajedrez

what are you playing at? * — pero ¿qué haces?, ¿qué te pasa?

• to play by the rules — (fig) acatar las normas

• to play fair — jugar limpio

• he plays for Liverpool — juega en el Liverpool

to play for high stakes — (lit) apostar muy alto; (fig) poner mucho en juego

• to play in defence/goal — (Sport) jugar de defensa/de portero

• he played into the trees — (Golf) mandó la bola a la zona de árboles

• will you play for us? — ¿nos tocas algo?

• to play on the piano — tocar el piano

• to play to sb — tocar para algn

the film now playing at the Odeon — la película que se exhibe or proyecta en el Odeon

play clothes NPL — ropa f para jugar

play reading N — lectura f (de una obra dramática)

play was interrupted — se interrumpió el juego or el partido

to bring something/come into play — poner* algo/entrar en juego

to make a play for somebody/something — (also BrE)

he made a play for her — trató de ganársela or de conquistársela

radio play — obra f radiofónica

to play a joke/trick on somebody — hacerle* or gastarle una broma/una jugarreta a alguien

to play somebody AT something: I used to play her at chess — jugaba ajedrez or (Esp, RPl) al ajedrez con ella

to play the market — ( Fin) jugar* a la bolsa

to play (it) straight — ser* sincero or honesto

to play with oneself — (euph) toquetearse (euf)

to play hard to get — hacerse* el (or la etc) interesante

fair (foul, rough, team) play — че́стная (нече́стная, гру́бая, дру́жная) игра́

play football (tennis) — игра́ть в футбо́л (те́ннис)

play the guitar (the violin) — игра́ть на гита́ре (на скри́пке)

play the pawn — шахм пойти́ пе́шкой