deal (one) a bad hand
To force one to deal with an especially unfortunate or undesirable set of circumstances. Likened to receiving undesirable cards in a card game. She claims that her financial advisers dealt her a bad hand by misrepresenting how much she stood to gain from the investment. He is a really smart guy, but life dealt him a bad hand, you know? He grew up in a place where the only way out of poverty was through crime. I did my very best to manage this company well, but the universe dealt me a bad hand right from the beginning—the economic crash happened just one week before I took over.
deal (one) in
To include one in something. Often used in the imperative "deal me in." The phrase originated in card games, in which cards are distributed among the players by "dealing" them. If you guys are playing poker in there, deal me in! Bobby really wants to be involved in this project, so deal him in too. No way am I dealing Sarah in! She had no faith in us at all until we starting making some big money!
deal (someone) a mortal blow
1. To wound someone in a way that leads to their death. The knight plunged his blade into his enemy's abdomen, dealing the foe a mortal blow. He's been in many a duel, yet no one has dealt him a mortal blow—it's truly miraculous. The warrior swiftly dealt his adversary a mortal blow on the battlefield.
2. By extension, to do something that ensures someone's or some group's ruin, failure, or defeat. The scandal over tax evasion has no doubt dealt the senator a mortal blow in his hopes for reelection. These onerous new federal regulations are going to deal our company a mortal blow. The company had been very successful until that massive recall dealt it a mortal blow.
deal a death blow
1. To strike someone (typically with a weapon) and cause immediate death. The warrior swiftly dealt a death blow to his adversary on the battlefield. When the knight plunged his blade into his enemy's abdomen, he dealt the foe a death blow. Everyone thinks they're skilled in battle until they're dealt a death blow.
2. By extension, to cause the abrupt end of something. His arrest and subsequent conviction dealt a death blow to his successful career as an attorney. We haven't been doing great anyway, so what if this massive recall deals a death blow to our company? The scandal over tax evasion will no doubt deal a death blow to the senator's hopes for reelection.
deal a mortal blow to (someone)
1. To wound someone in a way that leads to their death. The knight dealt a mortal blow to his enemy with a single thrust of his halberd. He's so cocky in battle that I know someone will deal a mortal blow to him sooner than later. The warrior swiftly dealt a mortal blow to his adversary on the battlefield.
2. By extension, to do something that ensures someone's or some group's ruin, failure, or defeat. The scandal over tax evasion has no doubt dealt a mortal blow to the senator's hopes for reelection. These onerous new federal regulations are going to deal a mortal blow to our entire industry. I'm worried that this massive recall will deal a mortal blow to our company.
deal a/the hand
A noun or pronoun can be used between "deal" and "a/the hand."
1. Literally, to distribute a hand of cards to someone at random. If you're so good at shuffling cards, you deal the hand then! Deal me a hand while I get some more chips. Hey, if you're unhappy with your cards, don't blame me—Billy dealt the hand!
2. By extension, to accord someone their fortune or fate in life at random. Look, life's going to deal you a hand, good or bad, and it's up to you to make of it what you will. Sometimes I get down about the accident, but then I remember that if I hadn't been dealt this hand, I would never have met the love of my life in intensive care. He really is a smart guy, but he was dealt a bad hand growing up in a place where crime was the only way out of poverty.
deal from the bottom of the deck
To act in a duplicitous, deceitful manner in order to serve one's own interests; to cheat. A reference to a dealing technique in card games used by magicians and cheaters. I'm not surprised the politician got caught committing fraud. That buffoon has spent his entire career dealing from the bottom of the deck. You can't deal from the bottom of the deck and expect to succeed in a competitive school like this. There's no substitute for hard work. A: "Why would I deal from the bottom of the deck?" B: "Because you want to cut me out of the profits from our shared invention, that's why!"
deal in (something)
1. To work in a particular field. I deal in medical supplies these days, selling X-ray and MRI machines to hospitals. Mike has been acting so secretive lately that I'm starting to think he's dealing in something illegal. No, I deal in family law—I can't help you with these business issues.
2. To focus on or include something. Your term paper for this class must deal in the major themes of modernism. The movie deals in the emotional turmoil experienced by soldiers during World War II. Uh, the report was supposed to deal in the projected sales numbers for next quarter, but I don't see them anywhere.
3. To accept, work with, or base one's efforts on something. We don't deal in rumors at this newspaper, so you'd better have some cold, hard facts to back you up if you want us to publish your story. The artist has stated that she deals in impressions and emotions when she paints. He's a politician, so of course he deals in both half-truths and blatant lies.
deal out
1. To distribute (something) among those present. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "deal" and "out." Deal out the itinerary so we can see which landmark we're visiting first. We gathered round as the boss started dealing out our paychecks for the week. When do they start dealing out lunch in the cafeteria?
2. To exclude one from something. The phrase likely originated from card games, in which cards are distributed among the players by "dealing" them. In this usage, the excluded person is typically stated between "deal" and "out." If you guys are going to keep playing poker, then deal me out—I have to go do something upstairs. Bobby isn't going to the conference anymore, so deal him out of this project. Of course I dealt you out of the royalties—you had no role in writing the song!
wheel and deal
To proactively and frequently pursue business deals or other actions of benefit to oneself or one's organization through the building and leveraging of contacts and relationships, especially in a prolific, aggressive, or unscrupulous way. You can't just expect to move up in the workplace without making some contacts. You have to wheel and deal a little. Nothing gets done on Capitol Hill without a lot of people wheeling and dealing. It's just how politics is.
wheeling and dealing
The act of proactively and frequently pursuing business deals or other actions of benefit to oneself or one's organization through the building and leveraging of contacts and relationships, especially in a prolific, aggressive, or unscrupulous way. Nothing gets done on Capitol Hill without a lot of wheeling and dealing. It's just how politics is. You need to cool it with the wheeling and dealing and just let the process work as it is supposed to. You'll be judged on your qualifications, not who you know.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.