sleight of hand
noun phrase

- speed and skill of the hand when performing tricks

- a cleverly executed trick or deception

- skilful hiding of the truth in order to win an advantage

Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary / Merriam-Webster

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ORIGIN

Sleight meaning “cunning” is an early 14th century alteration of sleahthe (c. 1200), from Old Norse sloegr meaning “skill, cleverness, dexterity".

The meaning “feat or trick requiring quickness and nimbleness of the hands” is from the late 16th century.

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IN MAGIC AND IN BUSINESS

Sleight of hand is one of the means by which magicians can produce a desired effect. One of the most common examples is the so-called “shell game”, a trick frequently employed by street hustlers in which a small object is hidden under one of three cups. To win, the customer has to guess which cup holds the object after the hustler moves the three cups around. Street hustlers usually win under the motto, “the hand is quicker than the eye”.

Sleight of hand is also used in a figurative sense to describe concealing the truth to gain a benefit, usually a financial one. For instance, a business can use sleight of hand in its accounting practices to make the books appear better than they actually are. Or a dishonest person could try to sell something privately with sleight of hand tactics to mislead the buyer.

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A SLIGHT MISTAKE

This expression is often mistakenly written as “slight of hand” because sleight and slight are pronounced the same, but have different meanings. "Sleight" means dexterity or a skilful trick and "slight" means small in size, degree or amount.

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SYNONYMS

artful deception, chicanery, dirty game, flimflam, hoax, hokum, legerdemain, mummery, prestidigitation, SLEIGHT OF HAND, smoke and mirrors, snow job
    
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today’s conversation, say something like:

“They used some clever SLEIGHT OF HAND to win that last negotiation round, we need to be more careful next time.”

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Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40