Mayberry Machiavelli
- noun
- Informal
:
Machiavelli de Mayberry
- He is such a Mayberry Machiavelli in our town.
Examples
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She called her rival a Mayberry Machiavelli for always finding clever ways to gain the upper hand.
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His charming smile hid the fact that he was a true Mayberry Machiavelli in the office.
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Behind his small-town manners, the Mayberry Machiavelli orchestrated every decision in city council.
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Have you ever met a Mayberry Machiavelli like her?
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In the small town, everyone trusted him, but he was a Mayberry Machiavelli who often got his way through cunning tricks.
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She seemed friendly and approachable, but behind the scenes, she was the Mayberry Machiavelli pulling all the strings.
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The politician's folksy demeanor masked the fact that he was a real Mayberry Machiavelli, using charm to manipulate his audience.
Synonyms
14
9.9
A person, often a lawyer or politician, who acts dishonestly to get what they want
1
9.9
A person who seems friendly but tricks others to get what they want
1
8.9
A person who secretly plans to trick others for personal gain
A person who secretly plans to harm or trick others
A person who gets things by tricking or lying to others
A rude word people use to praise someone very clever and tricky
How Manipulative
77
6.1
- Informal
- Offensive
24
6.2
- Offensive
9
7.0
11
6.4
20
6.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Mayberry + Machiavelli
The phrase juxtaposes the folk‑town image of 'Mayberry' with the historical reputation of 'Machiavelli' as a cunning schemer, so the intended meaning—a schemer who appears folksy or unassuming—is derivable by combining the two referents. However, this relies on cultural/world knowledge about the Machiavelli stereotype and a metaphorical mapping, so it is not fully predictable for all learners and is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Mayberry Machiavelli comes from putting together Mayberry, the friendly small town from an old TV show, and Machiavelli, a man known for clever plans to get power. The picture is of a pleasant person who secretly makes plans, so the name means 'a clever schemer who seems ordinary and friendly'.