tickle the ivories

Idioms  

1. 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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Example Sentences

While he mainly played bass for the group, he'd also tickle the ivories and even sing lead on some tracks.

From Fox News • Jul. 31, 2021

When he plays piano he doesn’t so much tickle the ivories as mash them, like a guy making a sloppy pass, but oh boy does it work.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2018

I'm not sure if Trump stayed in that suite — or if he can tickle the ivories.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2018

If you want to see an artist who can paint the way a keyboard prodigy can tickle the ivories, you need to rush to Sarah McRae Morton’s show, “Mapping Stars at Noon.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2016

She can tickle the ivories in great shape, and spent most of the evening at the piano.

From The Mermaid of Druid Lake and Other Stories by Bump, Charles Weathers