not miss a trick

To not take advantage of an opportunity or situation to gain some benefit for oneself. Almost always used in the negative to convey the opposite, meaning that one is opportunistic. Did you really try to make a quick buck during the hurricane? You never miss a trick, do you? Even the best salesmen miss a trick once in a while. You'll get the next one.

To always be alert to any situation or opportunity from which one can benefit or of which one can take advantage. When you're hiring a PR consultant, you want someone who won't miss a trick. My father doesn't miss a trick—any chance to make a quick buck, and he'll be there.

Fig. to miss an opportunity or chance. (*Typically with the negative.) She hardly ever misses a trick. Mr. Big never misses a trick. How did a smart guy like you miss a trick like that?

Also, never miss a trick; not miss much. Not fail to be aware of what is going on. For example, When it comes to the commodities market, Mark never misses a trick, or Dad may seem absentminded, but he doesn't miss much. The first phrase dates from the early 1900s; the variant employs miss in the sense of "fail to perceive," a usage dating from the late 1600s.

COMMON If someone does not miss a trick, they always know what is happening and take advantage of every situation. She doesn't miss a trick — her mental and physical agility are superb. Matthews did not miss a trick, establishing a profitable connection with Adams, the powerful American boxing entrepreneur. Note: You can also say that someone misses a trick if they miss an opportunity that would give them an advantage. She said that writers are missing a trick: `Real business figures present great opportunities for fictional characters'. Note: The reference here is to a player winning every trick in a card game such as whist or bridge.

To be extremely alert: The teacher was known for not missing a trick.

Not overlooking a single opportunity to profit. This term very likely comes from whist and related card games, in which a trick is a group of cards played and won in one round. The player who amasses the highest possible number of tricks wins the game. It began to be transferred to other activities in the mid-twentieth century. “Those boys haven’t missed a trick,” wrote Emma Lathen in Murder Against the Grain (1967).