A big deal

A dealer shuffles a deck of cards during the World Series of poker in Las Vegas. Photo: AP/ Julie Jacobson

Today's Phrase

The phrase a big deal is often used to describe a situation of great importance.
Examples:
It's obviously a big deal to her to get a promotion first because she can move up in the company faster than anybody else in the team.
I just couldn't understand why they quarrelled so much over the colour of a picture frame - it's not a big deal!

Take note

A big no-no describes something that should never be done or should never have been done.
Examples:
Wearing jeans is a big no-no in a posh restaurant.
Arriving late and leaving early is a big no-no at our workplace.

Interesting fact

The earliest known playing cards are from 9th Century China. The widely-used French design of today has 52 cards and four 'suits': clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades.