play for keeps
to do something very seriously
TRANSLATION
play for keeps = etwas sehr ernst nehmen
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Taiwanese companies, aggressive investors across East Asia, are PLAYING FOR KEEPS in mainland China. They now extend far beyond the toy and shoe producers that first went to China a decade ago for its cheap labor and land. Now electronics manufacturers are arriving…
(BusinessWeek magazine)
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And judging from the features Microsoft has packed into the new box, it's clear the company is PLAYING FOR KEEPS.
(www.cnn.money.com)
Did you
know?
play for keeps
idiom
- to do something very seriously and not just for enjoyment
(Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms)
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WORD ORIGIN
One of the definitions of the verb PLAY is "to act or conduct oneself in a specified way.’’ It is used this way as a phrasal verb in many different senses:
- play along (to cooperate or pretend to cooperate)
- play down (to minimise the importance of something)
- play up (to emphasise or publicise)
- play upon (to take advantage of another’s attitude or feelings)
Among other things, the verb "to keep’’ means to retain possession of, to support or to preserve something. This implies a continuous condition or a permanent state. Thus in the expression "PLAY FOR KEEPS’’ this suggests an indefinitely long period of time, meaning something that requires serious effort.
KEEP is used in several idioms:
- keep a stiff upper lip (to be courageous in the face of adversity)
- keep (one’s) nose clean (to stay out of trouble)
- keep an eye on something or someone (to watch over attentively)
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PRACTICE OWAD TODAY
Say something like:
"Even if it's only a game of tennis with friends, he always PLAYS FOR KEEPS."
