that was my trump card
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
My best chance, my last resort. The cards are in my hands. I hold the disposal of events which will secure success; I have the upper hand, the whip-end of the stick.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “that was my trump card” mean?
My best chance, my last resort. The cards are in my hands. I hold the disposal of events which will secure success; I have the upper hand, the whip-end of the stick.
Is “that was my trump card” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.