Oct 25, 2007 17:43
16 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
Crazy like a fox
English
Art/Literary
Slang
term heard
I do not understand this term. Can someone please explain it to me. It's origin? something?
Responses
| 4 +6 | seemingly foolish but in fact extremely cunning |
Kim Metzger
|
| 3 -2 | rabid |
salavat
|
Change log
Oct 25, 2007 17:47: Kim Metzger changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Oct 25, 2007 17:47: Kim Metzger changed "Field" from "Other" to "Art/Literary"
Responses
+6
3 mins
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Mexico
Native in English
&
English
Mexico
Committed to Quality and Service
Native in: English (Variant: US) 
Works in: German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
40
Selected
seemingly foolish but in fact extremely cunning
CRAZY LIKE (OR AS) A FOX - ".seemingly foolish but in fact extremely cunning." From "Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume 1, A-G" by J.E. Lighter, Random House, New York, 1994. And from a second reference: Crazy (Dumb, Sly) Like a Fox. Smart and resourceful. The fox has been celebrated for centuries as a crafty animal. Its wiles were remarked in the 'Trinity College Homilies,' dating from about 1200. S. J. Perelman made one of the phrases (Crazy Like a Fox) the title of a book in 1944." From the "Dictionary of Cliches" by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985).
If you say, "He's crazy like a fox," you are saying that person is smart and can outwit other people. The image I get is that the actions of a fox appear a little crazy but he is in fact acting in a brilliant manner to save himself.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/20/messages/298.htm...
If you say, "He's crazy like a fox," you are saying that person is smart and can outwit other people. The image I get is that the actions of a fox appear a little crazy but he is in fact acting in a brilliant manner to save himself.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/20/messages/298.htm...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you! This makes complete sense to me now! It has been used in reference myself, on several occasions! I will now take it as a compliment. :)"
-2
9 mins
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