Comment dit-on « to play on (upon) an idea » en français ? Je crois que c'est idiomatique, mais j'ai besoin d'une expression similaire.
to exploit something—including a word—for some purpose; to develop something for some purpose. (Upon is formal and less commonly used than on.) You are just playing on words! You are playing on a misunderstanding.
to have an effect on something; to manage something for a desired effect. (The on can be replaced by upon.) The clerk played on my sense of responsibility in trying to get me to buy the book. See if you can get her to confess by playing on her sense of guilt.
En français « avoir un effet sur quelque chose; obtenir un effet désiré de quelque chose », en l'occurrence, il s'agit d'une idée.