IDIOMS FOR ADVANCED LEVEL

• An ACE IN THE HOLE

It is an advantage that insures victory. Similar to An ACE UP YOUR SLEEVE but it´s a hidden advantage. The expression comes from card games, where the ace is the high card; a "hole card" is a card that is revealed midway through a round.

Example: He is quite a competitor, and we knew he was our ace in the hole this year. He was always the one who kept the team in line and made sure everyone stayed focused and serious. He is just a good kid.

• THROW A WRENCH INTO (or throw a monkey wrench into)

To make something fail, to try to disrupt something.

Example: It´s unlikely Nike will relinquish a portion of land under the Bonneville Power Administration´s power lines for public use, said county and parks officials Tuesday at an open house for the development of the Westside Trail... And this could throw a wrench in Metro´s plan to connect the gaps in the Westside Trail. In the latest master plan developed by the regional planning agency, the S 30 million, multi-use trail would stretch 25 miles north-south, from the Willamette River near Forest Park to the Tualatin River at Tigard and King City.