hey presto
Sudden reveal exclamation
Hey presto is a British exclamation announcing that something has appeared or been accomplished as if by magic: You just add water and—hey presto—instant soup.
The phrase imitates a stage magician's flourish after a trick.
Americans more often say presto or abracadabra.
Spell-casting utterance
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- conjurationMagical act of summoning
- spellcastingPerforming magical incantations
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
sorcery · wizardry · charm · wand · alakazam · hocus-pocus · open sesame · shazam
Happening without any delay
- suddenOccurring without prior notice
- immediateHappening without delay
- quickMoving with speed
- flashBrief burst of light
blink · snap · whoosh · effortless · seamless · smooth · easy · swift
Performer of illusions
- conjurerPerformer of magic tricks
- illusionistPerformer of visual deception
- sleight of handSkillful manual deception
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
misdirection · showmanship · stagecraft · trick · routine · act · flourish · reveal
abracadabra
Spell-casting utterance
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- conjurationMagical act of summoning
- spellcastingPerforming magical incantations
enchantment · sorcery · wizardry · charm · wand · alakazam · hocus-pocus · open sesame · shazam · voilà
instantaneous
Happening without any delay
flash · blink · snap · whoosh · effortless · seamless · smooth · easy · swift · rapid
magician
Performer of illusions
- conjurerPerformer of magic tricks
- illusionistPerformer of visual deception
- sleight of handSkillful manual deception
trickery · misdirection · showmanship · stagecraft · trick · routine · act · flourish · reveal · audience
appear
Become perceptible to sight
- disappearPass from visibility
- vanishCease to be visible
- materializeBecome physically present
manifest · change · convert · switch · swap · replace · produce · conjure · summon · create
- magic wordsabracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, open sesame, shazam
hey prestoslowly but surely
Gradually yet reliably
gradually · little by little · step by step · bit by bit · over time
hey prestothe hard way
Through difficulty, not ease
with great difficulty · painstakingly · laboriously · against all odds · barely
hey prestoto no avail
Without achieving the goal
no such luck · alas · fat chance · no dice · dream on