1
general::
Phrase(s): play hard to get
Fig. to be coy, intentionally shy, and fickle. (Usually refers to someone of the opposite sex.) • Why can’t we go out? Why do you play hard to get? • Sally annoys all the boys because she plays hard to get.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Pretend to be inaccessible or uninterested; act coy, especially with the opposite sex. For example, I know he has no appointments tomorrow; he's just playing hard to get, or Nicole is very popular, perhaps because she plays hard to get. [Mid-1900s]
American Heritage Idioms