sly fox
1
6.1
- noun
:
zorro astuto
- Does it even matter when you can reap the benefits by being a sly fox?
Examples
-
It took me thirty-eight years to figure out that sly fox.
Fiction book (2001) -
A sly fox was slinking around the car park before we left, obviously hunting for some scraps.
Blog text (15) -
She was a sly fox, always finding a way to outsmart her competitors.
-
He was known as a sly fox in the business world, using clever tricks to close deals.
-
Everyone in the office knew he was a sly fox, manipulating situations to his advantage.
Synonyms
64
7.9
A person who is sneaky and dishonest, often trying to trick others
1
9.9
A person who seems friendly but tricks others to get what they want
A person who uses clever, playful tricks to get what they want
Antonyms
How Sly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person who is clever and cunning' is directly and predictably built from 'sly' (cunning) plus 'fox' (an animal/person associated with shrewd, deceitful behavior). This compositional animal-metaphor is common across languages and follows a transparent adjective + noun pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Sly fox comes from the old idea that the word sly describes the fox as quiet, quick and good at tricking others. So, calling someone a sly fox means they are 'clever and cunning' and may use tricks to get what they want.