parlor trick
noun
variants
US parlor trick
or British parlour trick
plural parlor tricks
: a usually simple trick or demonstration that is used especially to entertain or amuse guests
… this book … includes classic parlor tricks such as piercing a balloon with a needle without popping it, and yanking a tablecloth out from under bottles and plates.—Dolly Setton
—sometimes used figurativelyTheir game is an illusion, a political parlor trick: Hold down funding for key priorities, such as K-12 education, or universities, and then when revenues create a surplus, call it an "overpayment" by taxpayers.—Mike Owen
Methods of reporting change, and with the fierce competition of the Internet age, many reporters have resorted to ambush journalism or other parlor tricks.—David Yas
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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