"play it close to the hip" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play it close to the hip (third-person singular simple present plays it close to the hip, present participle playing it close to the hip, simple past and past participle played it close to the hip)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with placeholder \"it\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013, Michael Stephans, Experiencing Jazz: A Listener's Companion, page 101",
          "text": "Goodman wanted to play it close to the hip by starting the evening out with his more commercial arrangements—which fell flat with the audience; however, when he launched the band into Fletcher Henderson's arrangement of \"King Porter Stomp,\" the fans went wild.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Amanda Bonilla, Shadows at Midnight",
          "text": "If I opened my mouth a string of accusations would fly out and if I didn't play it close to the hip, I'd ruin any chances I might have at coaxing some information out of him.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017, Kate Baxter, The Lost Vampire",
          "text": "Rin would play this close to the hip. No way would he show his hand so soon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To behave conservatively and discreetly."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_it_close_to_the_hip-en-verb-Z77U7scH",
      "links": [
        [
          "conservative",
          "conservative"
        ],
        [
          "discreet",
          "discreet"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "play it close to the hip"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played it close to the hip",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play it close to the hip (third-person singular simple present plays it close to the hip, present participle playing it close to the hip, simple past and past participle played it close to the hip)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with placeholder \"it\"",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2013, Michael Stephans, Experiencing Jazz: A Listener's Companion, page 101",
          "text": "Goodman wanted to play it close to the hip by starting the evening out with his more commercial arrangements—which fell flat with the audience; however, when he launched the band into Fletcher Henderson's arrangement of \"King Porter Stomp,\" the fans went wild.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Amanda Bonilla, Shadows at Midnight",
          "text": "If I opened my mouth a string of accusations would fly out and if I didn't play it close to the hip, I'd ruin any chances I might have at coaxing some information out of him.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2017, Kate Baxter, The Lost Vampire",
          "text": "Rin would play this close to the hip. No way would he show his hand so soon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To behave conservatively and discreetly."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "conservative",
          "conservative"
        ],
        [
          "discreet",
          "discreet"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "play it close to the hip"
}