long suit

American  

noun

1. Cards.

   1. the suit in which the most cards are held in a hand.

   2. (in bridge) a suit in which four or more cards are held in a hand.

2. the quality, activity, endeavor, etc., in which one excels.

   Diligence is his long suit.

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long suit British  

noun

1. 1. the longest suit in a hand of cards

   2. a holding of four or more cards of a suit

2. informal an outstanding advantage, personal quality, or talent

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long suit Idioms  

1. One's strong point or advantage, as in Organizing has never been Nancy's long suit. This expression alludes to whist, bridge, and other card games in which holding numerous cards in a single suit may convey a strong advantage. [c. 1900]

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Etymology

Origin of long suit

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The reality, though, is that I did it because butting out is not my long suit.

From Washington Post • Mar. 15, 2022

Transparency about the building plan is not the museum’s long suit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2019

Strategy was not the long suit of THQ.

From Chicago Tribune • Aug. 18, 2013

After East rebid three clubs, saying that he was happy to play there if that was his partner’s long suit, South intervened with three hearts, which was passed out.

From New York Times • Dec. 2, 2011

Rachel and Adah were assigned any number of hope-chest projects to work on, but the domestic arena was never my long suit, so I was to focus on a single, big project: a cross-stitch tablecloth.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver