play the hand one is dealt en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(idiomatic, informal) To use the resources which one actually has available; to operate realistically, within the limits of one's circumstances.
"I am a great believer in self-management, that you must survive and find a way to play the hand you are dealt."
2001 June 24, Martha Duffy, “Take This Job and Love It”, in Time:"We have the players we have and I've got to play the hand dealt," Coslet said. "We are limited in what we can do."
1992 October 1, Timothy W. Smith, “When the Going Gets Good, Jets Go Bad”, in New York Times, retrieved 09 Apr 2013:"Don't you care. Play the hand that's dealt you and let the boss worry."
1919, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 6, in Oh, You Tex:There were mainstream candidates who seemed stronger than Mr Romney. . . . But the party must play the hand it is dealt, which appears to be Mr Romney.
2012 January 2, Alex Spillius, “Mitt Romney: a safe pair of hands?”, in The Telegraph, UK, retrieved 09 Apr 2013:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| play the hand that one was dealt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| plays the hand one is dealt | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| playing the hand one is dealt | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| play the hand dealt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| play the hand that one is dealt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| play the hand one was dealt | alternative | lexicographic | |
| played the hand one was dealt | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| played the hand one was dealt | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Translations (4)
pl używać tego, co jest dostępne (Translations) · fr faire avec ce qu'on a (Translations) · fr faire avec les moyens du bord (Translations) · fi tulla toimeen sillä mitä on (Translations)