Browse phrases beginning with:
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In spades
Meaning
In abundance; very much.
Origin
It's easy to imagine that this expression derives from the imagery of digging with spades and that 'in spades' is just short for 'in spadefuls'. That would be only imagination though, as the spades concerned here are the suit of cards. Spades are the highest ranking suit in the game of Bridge, which was a popular pastime in the USA in the early 20th century, and that's where and when the phrase originated.
The American journalist and writer Damon Runyon used the expression in a piece for Hearst's International magazine, in October 1929:
"I always hear the same thing about every bum on Broadway, male and female, including some I know are bums, in spades, right from taw."