how to say “trick up his sleeve” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /]כַּדּוּר בַּקָּנֶה
English invokes magic to talk about someone having a backup plan – a trick up his sleeve.
Hebrew uses a military metaphor – כדור בקנה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /] – literally, a bullet in the barrel.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /]חשבנו שהוא סיים את הקריירה הפוליטית, אבל מסתבר שהיו לו עוד כמה כדורים בקנה.
We thought he had finished his political career, but it turns out he had a few more tricks up his sleeve.
כדור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /] means both bullet and ball.
קנה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/כדור-בקנה-#.m4a” /] is the barrel of a gun, but its original meaning is a reed.
