Meaning & use
tickling the ivories
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Meanings
phraseidiominformalhumorous
Playing the piano, especially in a light, skillful or enjoyable way.
Grammar: The verb changes: he tickles the ivories, she was tickling the ivories.
Patterns
- tickle the ivories
Our uncle spent the whole party tickling the ivories in the corner.
She has been tickling the ivories since she was five.
The jazz pianist was tickling the ivories with great style.
phraseidiomhumorous
Playing a keyboard instrument in general, or being a pianist by profession.
Grammar: Sometimes used as a lighthearted job description: he tickles the ivories for a living.
Patterns
- tickle the ivories for a living
He tickles the ivories at a hotel bar every weekend.
The band's new member will be tickling the ivories on the next tour.
After dinner, grandma went back to tickling the ivories.
Word forms
| base form | tickle the ivories |
|---|---|
| third person singular | tickles the ivories |
| past tense | tickled the ivories |
Common combinations
- tickle the ivories
- Who is going to tickle the ivories tonight?
- spend the evening tickling the ivories
- He spent the evening tickling the ivories in the lounge.
- love tickling the ivories
- She loves tickling the ivories after work.
- keep tickling the ivories
- The old man kept tickling the ivories until midnight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- playing the piano
- Playing the piano is the plain, neutral phrase, while tickling the ivories adds a humorous, old-fashioned flavor.
- banging on the keys
- Banging on the keys suggests playing loudly or badly, which is the opposite of the light touch of tickling.
- tinkling
- Tinkling describes a light, gentle sound of piano notes, and does not name the act of playing.
Word family
Commonly confused: tickling the ivories or tickling the funny bone?
tickling the ivories vs tickling the funny bone
This different idiom means making someone laugh, and has nothing to do with the piano.
Practice
The guests gathered around the old upright while Dad spent the evening ______.
Choose one answer.
Tickling the ivories means playing the piano. Blowing his own trumpet means bragging, a tempting musical idiom that has a different meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tickling the ivories”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.