the oldest trick in the book
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
An effective way of tricking someone even though it is a very popular method.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Một cách hiệu quả để lừa đảo ai đó, dù nó là một phương pháp rất phổ biến.
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Imported from Wikipedia “English-language idioms” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review.
Common questions
What does “the oldest trick in the book” mean?
An effective way of tricking someone even though it is a very popular method.
Is “the oldest trick in the book” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.