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/Sounds like "teh" (as in "ten") + "NEHR" (as in "net") + "OON" (as in "Uber") + "AHS" (as in "art") + "BAH" (as in "bar") + "hoh" (as in "hope") + "LAH" (as in "lava") + "MAHN" (as in "mark") + "gah" (as in "garden")/

Meaning

To have a secret advantage or hidden resource kept in reserve for the most strategic moment. The person with an ace up their sleeve never shows all their cards at once and always surprises when others thought they had already lost.

Examples

He wasn't showing any nerves because he had an ace up his sleeve.

Keep your ace in reserve for the moment you really need it.

Regional synonyms

In Spain, the turbo version of flipar (to be amazed). Flipar en colores means being absolutely mind-blown, colors and all, like your brain just short-circuited from the shock or awesomeness. The "en colores" part cranks the intensity all the way up.