to play like a violin
- idiom
- Informal
:
manipular
- The politician played like a violin, promising everything the voters wanted to hear.
Examples
-
What we can't predict is whether or not Dan will come to his senses and figure out that he has been played like a violin.
Blog text (14) -
She could easily tell that he was trying to play like a violin, using flattery to get what he wanted.
-
After realizing he was being played like a violin by his coworkers, he decided to be more cautious in future dealings.
Synonyms
382
6.1
To control people or things in a clever, often dishonest way
326
3.5
To make someone believe something false so you can get what you want
26
6.0
To trick someone into doing something
15
3.0
To make someone believe something that is not true as a joke
12
8.3
To trick someone in a clever way so they do not notice
11
8.3
To trick someone by pretending you want to help them
7
7.4
Treat someone as stupid to trick or cheat them
6
2.8
To fool someone as a joke
5
8.1
To trick someone to gain an advantage
1
7.7
Use clever or dishonest moves to get an advantage
1
8.1
To trick someone who trusts you by hiding your real plans to get something for yourself
Act in a clever, tricky way to fool others
How Manipulative
Surface Forms
Morphology
The metaphor is partly predictable: if a learner knows 'play' can mean manipulate and that a violin is an instrument you control, they can infer a sense of skillful manipulation from 'play like a violin.' However, the specific idiomatic nuance (manipulating a person for personal gain) is metaphorical and not fully deducible from the literal parts, so prior exposure aids comprehension; similar instrument-as-control metaphors exist in many languages.
Etymology
Play like a violin comes from the image of a skilled musician moving a bow and fingers so the violin does exactly what they want. So, to play someone like a violin means 'to control or use someone easily and skillfully'.