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Playing with a full deck

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Possessing full mental competence and rationality; card game metaphor suggesting someone has all necessary cognitive faculties functioning properly, opposite of being impaired or confused.

Detailed Definition
Playing with a full deck means having sound judgement, mental steadiness, or practical sense, usually used in contrast to someone thought not to have these qualities. In poetry, the card image can suggest reason as a complete set of resources for dealing with chance and social games. The phrase should be used carefully, because related negative versions can sound mocking or stigmatising. A poet may use it to reveal a speaker’s judgement, prejudice, humour, or concern about sanity, order, and perception.
Example
Example in poetry:
A comic poem might say the absent-minded wizard is finally playing with a full deck when his spells work; In satire, a ruler who listens to evidence may be praised as playing with a full deck; The phrase means thinking sensibly or being mentally sound; A poet should use it carefully because it can sound mocking.
Additional Notes
Playing with a full deck means mentally competent, sensible, or sound in judgement, from card-game imagery. It is often used in contrast to not playing with a full deck, which can be insulting. In poetry, it may appear in character speech, comic judgement, or social observation. Students should be alert to tone and ableist implications. The deck metaphor imagines the mind as a complete set of cards needed for fair play.
Also Known As
sane
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