- 1
If a person is crafty, they are good at getting what they want by clever planning, and by not showing the whole plan. They notice gaps. They wait. They may tell only part of the truth.
If如果 a person一個人 is crafty是crafty的, they他們 are good at擅長 getting what they want用聰明的算計得到他們想要的 by clever planning, and而且 by not showing the whole plan不會把整個盤算攤出來。They他們 notice gaps會注意到漏洞。They他們 wait會等待時機。They他們 may tell only part of the truth可能只說出部分事實。
People often say it with a half-smile — a crafty look, a crafty question — so it can feel almost fond, especially about children or animals in stories. It can also be a real warning: do not trust this person’s surface. It is ordinary spoken English, not a legal word and not a kind word if the person can hear it.
People人們 often say it with a half-smile常常帶著半笑說它 — a crafty look一個crafty的眼神, a crafty question一個crafty的問題 — so所以 it它 can feel almost fond可以聽起來近乎疼愛, especially about children or animals in stories尤其是講故事裡的小孩或動物的時候。It它 can also be a real warning也可能是個真正的警告: do not trust this person's surface別相信這個人的表面。It它 is ordinary spoken English是普通的口語英文, not a legal word不是法律用語 and而且 not a kind word也不是句好話 if the person can hear it如果被那個人聽到的話。
Though actually, it is craft + -y, and in Old English cræftiġ it could mean , even strong or able. That older “full of skill” meaning is why still sounds like praise. Crafty kept the cleverness and slowly picked up the secret, slightly dishonest colour.
Though actually不過其實, it它 is craft + -y是craft加上-y組成的, and而 in Old English在古英文裡 cræftiġ cræftiġ這個字 could mean可以指 skilful技巧高超, even strong or able甚至是強壯或有能力。That older “full of skill” meaning那個較早、「充滿技藝」的意思 is why就是為什麼 craftsman craftsman這個字 still sounds like praise聽起來仍然像稱讚。Crafty Crafty kept the cleverness保留了聰明這一層意思, and慢慢地 slowly picked up又染上了 the secret, slightly dishonest colour帶點秘密、有點不老實的色彩。
So the student who meets arts and crafts first, then guesses that a crafty person is “good at making things,” has followed the letters — and missed how the word lives now. For making things, say , good with their hands, or call them a or .
So所以, the student學生如果 who meets arts and crafts first先接觸到arts and crafts這個說法, then guesses然後猜想 that a crafty personcrafty的人 is “good at making things”是「很會做東西的人」, has followed the letters只是照著字面走, and而 missed how the word lives now卻沒抓到這個字現在真正的用法。For making things要形容很會做東西, say skilful就說skilful, good with their hands或good with their hands, or或 call them a craftsman or craftswoman叫他們craftsman或craftswoman。
組成craft + -y. From Old English cræftiġ, “skilful; clever; powerful,” later the sneaky-clever sense. The -y means “full of / like that quality.”
同家族的字
- craftthe older ‘skill’ word; crafty is craft + -y, but the living meaning has slid toward trickery
- craftilythe adverb
- craftinessthe noun
- craftsmansame craft, different path: this one kept the ‘skilled maker’ meaning
原始詞典資料4 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,原文照列,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
craftyadj/ˈkɹæfti/
- 1
Skillful at deceiving others.
- For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
- According to The State and Revolution, only an ignoramus or a crafty bourgeois could suggest that the workers are incapable of directly and collectively managing industry, the state, and the administration.
- 2
Sneaky; surreptitious.
- I took a crafty look at his hand of cards while he was out of the room.
- 3
Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill; dexterous, clever.
- Make magazine, which celebrates “your right to tweak, hack and bend any technology to your own will,” has joined with the New York Hall of Science to gather more than 500 of the craftiest inventors, artists, technology enthusiasts, tinkerers and hobbyists to share their expertise.
- Can you envision a future Christmas where you print all your gifts instead of shop for them? It could soon be reality in even the most tech-averse household, and it might just end up saving the craftier among us lots of time and money. Why buy a $50 vase when you can print one for $2?
- 4
datedMagical or occult, or allegedly so.
- a crafty science
資料來源:英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary(CC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。