Meaning: This idiom means that someone is engaging in their usual mischievous or deceptive behavior. It implies a return to familiar, often undesirable, actions or habits.
Usage in Example Sentences:
- “Don’t trust him; he’s up to his old tricks again, trying to cheat people out of their money.”
- “The dog is up to her old tricks, sneaking food from the table when no one is looking.”
- “She promised to be more reliable, but she’s up to her old tricks, arriving late to meetings.”
Origin: The origin of the idiom “up to one’s old tricks” is not precisely documented but is rooted in the long-standing human experience of recognizing repeated behavior patterns. The phrase uses the word “tricks” to refer to cunning or deceptive actions, and “old” to indicate that these actions are familiar and have been seen before. The idiom emphasizes the idea that despite any claims of change or improvement, the person has reverted to their habitual ways, typically in a negative context. It has been used in English for many years to describe a return to previously established, often undesirable, behaviors.
