miss a trick

English

Etymology

From card games, where trick means “a sequence in which each player plays a card and a winning play is determined”.

Verb

miss a trick (third-person singular simple present misses a trick, present participle missing a trick, simple past and past participle missed a trick)

1. To allow an advantageous opportunity to pass by.

   John managed to make a profit on that old car you sold him. He never misses a trick, does he?

   • 2005, A. Furnham, The People Business: Psychological Reflections on Management:

     Select someone who abuses children; select someone who fails to detect bombs; select someone who is an impostor; select someone who sabotages a plant; select someone who embezzles the company ... and you could be sued by the victims of the misdemeanor. You missed a trick and placed people in danger.

Usage notes

• Often used in negative constructions.

References

• “not miss a trick”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.