TUESDAY TRIVIA: Origin of the Idiom ‘In Spades’

To have something ‘in spades’ didn’t derive from the amount of something one can dig up with a spade.

What is the origin of the idiom “in spades?”

To have something “in spades” means to have it in abundance or to a large degree.

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The idiom wasn’t used prior to the 1920s, so it is said to be derived from the card game Bridge, which was popular during that time. Spades were the highest ranking suit in that card game, so the more spades you had, the more likely you were to win.

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