Idioms: Aces - hold all the aces

Idiom(s) of the day: Hold all the aces

Explanation(s):

Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Idioms, 2004 (CCDI):

If you say that someone holds all the aces, you mean that they are in a very strong position because they have more advantages and more power than anyone else. (In many card games, the ace is the card with the highest score.)

Lingvo (www.lingvo.com):

to have all the advantages in a situation (OALD)

to have all the advantages or power (Collins)

Babylon (www.babylon.com):

have all of the best playing cards; have all of the advantages

Translation(s):

CCDI:

Иметь все козыри в руках; быть хозяином положения. My category: Преимущество (Advantage)

Examples:

CCDI:

When I was an adolescent, I thought girls held all the aces. When you call for a date, you are sitting there all open. She can slam the door in your face.

They hold all the aces and are not going to make changes voluntarily because it wouldn’t be in their own interests.

British National Corpus (BNC), Mark Davies (http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/):

1 A0F W_fict_prose: I knew that, in the cold light of day, he held all the aces. He was the Director: he could lecture on whomever he liked. And

2 H8L W_fict_prose: he is, if that, and a lot less self-confident, but holding all the aces. Not that he plays them all that well," he admitted, thoughtfully

3 CH5 W_newsp_tabloid: battle with Fergie," he said. "The Queen has got all the aces. She has the whip-hand for the first time since the cock-up over the separation

4 K2L W_newsp_other_sports Signet , impressive winner of the ultra-competitive Stewards Cup at Goodwood, holds all the aces in the Doncaster Bloodstock Sales Scarbrough Stakes. Heavily-backed to follow up in a Listed

5 AMK W_non_ac_polit_law_edu: seat on the Bundesbank, and given the fact that the Germans hold all the aces, this is hardly surprising. Formerly, the difference between the Germans and the

6 C8P W_instructional all the kings, in another was all the queens, in another all the aces and in the other all the jacks. They all went on their way and