Sleight of hand, meaning skillful deception or manual dexterity, originates from the Old Norse word sloegr ("cunning" or "sly") and dates in English usage to roughly 1350–1400. It refers to the "quickness of hand" used for magic or tricks, with roots in ancient, 2,500-year-old Egyptian cups-and-balls performances, long before it became a popular entertainment form.
