the joker in the pack

the joker in the pack

Someone or something that is unpredictable; a wild card. There are a few unpredictable elements here, but the weather is the real joker in the pack. The joker in the pack in this game will be the performance of the bench players.

See also: joker, pack

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

the joker in the pack

mainly BRITISH

If something or someone is the joker in the pack, they are different from the other things or people in a situation and no one knows how they will behave. He's seen very much as the wild boy of Italian fashion — the joker in the pack. Note: The joker in a pack of playing cards is the card which does not belong to any of the four suits.

See also: joker, pack

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

the joker in the pack

a person or factor likely to have an unpredictable effect on events.

In a pack of playing cards, a joker is an extra card which does not belong to one of the four suits (clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades) and usually bears the figure of a jester. It is used in some card games as a trump and in poker as a wild card.

1973 George Sims Hunters Point Fred Wheeler may be the joker in the pack. He might have got Dave involved in something wild.

See also: joker, pack

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

the ˌjoker in the ˈpack

a person or thing who could change the way that things will happen in a way that cannot be predicted: Everyone knew each other well, except for the new guy Jason, who was the joker in the pack.

The pack here is a set of playing cards. In every pack there are two extra cards, which are called jokers.

See also: joker, pack

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017