play it straight
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play it straight
verb plays it straight · playing it straight · played it straight
- To behave in a manner that is straightforward, honest, or sincere. "The position you'd put me in would be this—of playing a game—and a jolly important game at that—in which the loser loses to me on purpose. . . . If we're going to play a game," he continued, addressing Davenant, before the latter had time to speak, "for Heaven's sake let us play it straight—like me
- To perform a role in a manner that is not comedic or exaggerated. And how can you not admire a man who could star in a stinker like Battlestar Galactica—and play it straight?
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To avoid criminal behavior.
"But the best thing about him is that he always played it straight with us—never double‐dealed, giving us two and keeping one for himself."
Similar: go straight
Translations
Every language
verb to behave in a manner that is straightforward, honest, or sincere
| Français | jouer cartes sur table, jouer franc jeu |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | mit offenen Karten spielen, nicht herumtricksen |
| Italiano | giocare a carte scoperte |
| Română | juca cinstit |
| Русский | игра́ть в откры́тую igrátʹ v otkrýtuju |
verb to avoid criminal behavior
| Deutsch | sauber bleiben, es lassen krumme Dinger zu drehen, sich gesetzestreu verhalten |
|---|
Talk about this word "play it straight." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/play%20it%20straight. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. play it straight. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/play%20it%20straight "play it straight." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/play%20it%20straight.Cite this
@misc{play_it_straight_2026,
title = {play it straight},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/play%20it%20straight},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
