pull a rabbit out of the hat

P

pull a rabbit out of the hat

Meaning:

• do something unexpected or surprising
• do something unorthodox but very effective to solve a problem
• surprise others by suddenly doing something requiring a lot of skill

Example:

1. The team was losing till almost the end, but suddenly, it pulled a rabbit out of its hat and won the contest in the dying minutes.
2. Its difficult for the company to survive, unless the management pulls a rabbit out of its hat.
3. Can your favorite team pull a rabbit out of the hat and win the tournament this time?
4. The deal was about to be cancelled, but at the last moment, the sales team pulled a rabbit out of the hat and convinced the client to seal the deal.
5. The government pulled a rabbit out of the hat and passed the bill despite strong opposition from other parties.
6. Unless we can pull a rabbit out of the hat, our new venture will not really take off.
7. The story was getting complicated, but in the end the author pulled a rabbit out of the hat and it all fell into place and made sense.

Origin:
This phrase originated from the magic trick whereby a magician pulls out a rabbit out of an empty hat.