tickle the ivories

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Play the piano, as in He went on tickling the ivories until three in the morning. This expression alludes to a piano's keys, traditionally made of ivory. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s]

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Words nearby tickle the ivories

tickled pink, tickle one's fancy, tickler, tickler coil, tickler file, tickle the ivories, ticklish, tickly, Ticknor, tick off, tick over

How to use tickle the ivories in a sentence

France 24 is providing live, round-the-clock coverage of both scenes as they progress.
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Sands was involved in a scandalous-for-the-time romance with the carpenter and there were rumors she was pregnant with his child.
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Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.
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The Dallas Cowboys sell out their state-of-the art football stadium.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Daily Beast spoke to a jubilant League on Tuesday about the behind-the-scenes battle to get The Interview to movie theaters.
The Inside Story of How Sony’s ‘The Interview’ Finally Made It to Theaters|Marlow Stern|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sleek finds it far harder work than fortune-making; but he pursues his Will-o'-the-Wisp with untiring energy.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
You never know when you are going to stumble upon a jewel in the most out-of-the-way corner.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Mr. Slocum was not educated in a university, and his life has been in by-paths, and out-of-the-way places.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
I drew back from the rim of Writing-On-the-Stone, that set of whispered phrases echoing in my ears.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Besides the districts mentioned, tobacco is grown largely in that of Frankfort-on-the Oder.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.