when the chips are down

短语
中文释义

英文释义

短语
  1. When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical. idiomatic
    — He wasn't a very talented musician but, when the chips were down, he played well.

词源

From the game of poker, in which chips laid down on the table are staked.
2 次浏览 数据来源: Wiktionary