PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT
wizardofodds.com says in blackjack, always do this with a pair of aces or a pair of 8s; never do it with a pair of 5s or a pair of 10s
split
Designing roads, bridges, sewers & other pieces of infrastructure falls under this branch of engineering
civil
Our relationship is strictly NSA, this
no strings attached
...appoint a woman as White House Chief of Staff, strategist Susie Wiles
Trump
Some news you can use about screws: turn 'em right to get 'em tight & in this direction to loosen things up
counterclockwise
You're holding 3 of a kind, but you know your opponent has a flush; your odds of drawing a pair for this winning poker hand? Not great
a full house
L.E.D. stands for light-emitting this component, common in electrical engineering
diode
The Atlantic gets a lot smaller in this phrase meaning over in America to a Brit, or vice versa
across the pond
...be the head of a major union, the organization then known as SAG
Reagan
Happy 400th birthday, aka this, Gian Domenico Cassini! You don't look a day over 395
a quadricentennial
Red cards like Zurgo Bellstriker will help you play aggressively in this game with a colon & a subtitle
Magic: The Gathering
Audio & electrical engineers will measure the ratio of this desired information to noise to evaluate clarity
signal
An uneasy accord has been reached when you do this rhyming phrase, politely let go of a dispute without resolution (you're still wrong)
agree to disagree
...be Roman Catholic
Kennedy
If you're an Olympic sprinter, it's the unfortunate consequence of a false start, aka jumping the gun
disqualification
In Monopoly, this card says it "may be kept until needed or sold", so do that
Get out of Jail (Free)
It's the term for a rigid structure that extends horizontally, with one end unsupported, like the terraces at Fallingwater
a cantilever
To pine for someone, or more literally, to participate in a pre-Olympics ceremony
carry a torch
...ride to & from his inauguration in an automobile, a Packard Twin Six
Warren G. Harding
At a Sierra Club meeting, avoid "tree hugger" & use this less disparaging synonym for someone concerned about conservation
environmentalist
One golden rule of this: "On the opening lead never under-lead an ace against a suit contract"
bridge
In summer, subway systems get un-cool as they absorb & trap warmth from streets, functioning as what's called a heat this
a sink
It means doing everything right, or getting a hit every time up, though the math doesn't strictly work on that last one
batting 1.000
...be born a U.S. citizen, though oddly, he was also the first to have English as his second language
Van Buren
Unable to be broken down by microorganisms--like Styrofoam, which takes about 500 years to decompose
nonbiodegradable