146. Cunning (See also Trickery.)

1. Adler, Irene cleverly foiled Sherlock Holmes and the King of Bohemia. [Br. Lit.: Doyle “A Scandal in Bohemia” in Sherlock Holmes ]
2. Artful Dodger nickname for the sly pickpocket, John Dawkins. [Br. Lit.: Oliver Twist ]
3. Asmodeus clever, hell-born hero. [Fr. Lit.: Le Diable Boiîteux, Walsh Modern, 31]
4. Autolycus craftiest of thieves; stole neighbors’ flocks by changing marks. [Gk. Myth.: NCE, 192]
5. Bamber, Jack law clerk with “strange wild slyness.” [Br. Lit.: Pickwick Papers ]
6. Bolingbroke, Henry cleverness and timing bring him England’s crown. [Br. Lit.: Richard II ]
7. Borgia, Cesare (1476–1507) unscrupulously plotted against friend and foe. [Ital. Hist.: Plumb, 59–61]
8. Brer Fox sly trickster; outwits everyone. [Children’s Lit.: Uncle Remus ]
9. Bunny, Bugs for whom no trap is too tricky. [Comics: Horn, 140]
10. cheetah pounces without warning on prey. [Western Folklore: Jobes, 320]
11. Cleopatra manipulates Antony through her “infinite variety.” [Br. Lit.: Antony and Cleopatra ]
12. crow symbolizes one who lives by his wits. [Western Folklore: Jobes, 388]
13. Dido contracts for as much land as can be enclosed by an oxhide; by cutting it into a strip she obtains enough to found a city. [Rom. Legend: Collier’s VI, 259]
14. Dolius epithet of Hermes, meaning ‘crafty.’ [Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 124]
15. Fabius delayed meeting Hannibal’s troops; wore them down; hence, fabian. [Rom. Hist.: Espy, 177]
16. Figaro ingeniously contrives means to his own ends. [Fr. Lit.: Barber of Seville; Marriage of Figaro ]
17. fox symbol of cleverness and deceit. [Animal Symbolism: Mercatante, 84–85]
18. Foxy Grandpa shrewd old man always turns the table on mischievous kids. [Comics: Horn, 602]
19. Helena tricks husband into fulfilling marital duties. [Br. Lit.: All’s Well That Ends Well ]
20. Hippomenes beat the swift Atalanta in a race by distracting her with golden apples. [Gk. Myth.: Bulfinch]
21. Isabella frustrates captor while pretending compliance. [Ital. Opera: Rossini, Italian Girl in Algeria, Westerman, 118–119]
22. jackal outwits the tiger; imprisons him. [Hindu Folklore: Mercatante, 55]
23. Little Claus grows rich by tricks and extortions. [Dan. Lit.: Andersen’s Fairy Tales ]
24. Malengin carries net on back to “catch fools with.” [Br. Lit.: Faerie Queene ]
25. Marion, Francis (1732–1795) Revolutionary general, nick-named the “Swamp Fox.” [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 308]
26. Morgiana female slave cleverly dispatches 40 thieves. [Arab. Lit.: Arabian Nights, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”]
27. Odysseus wily and noble hero of the Odyssey. [Gk. Lit.: Odyssey ]
28. Oriol, Father shrewd landowner with admirable bargaining ability. [Fr. Lit.: Mont-Oriol, Magill I, 618–620]
29. Panurge “received answers in twelve known and unknown tongues.” [Fr. Lit.: Gargantua and Pantagruel ]
30. Philadelphia lawyer clever at finding fine points and technicalities. [Am. Usage: Misc.]
31. Road Runner thrives on outwitting Wile E. Coyote. [Comics: “Beep Beep the Road Runner” in Horn, 105]
32. Sawyer, Tom hoodwinks friends into painting fence. [Am. Lit.: Tom Sawyer ]
33. Scheherazade escapes being put to death by telling stories for 1001 nights. [Arab. Lit.: Arabian Nights ]
34. serpent subtly deceives Eve in the Garden. [O.T.: Genesis 3:1]
35. Sinon induces Trojans to take in wooden horse. [Rom. Lit.: Aeneid ]
36. spider ophrys indicates cleverness. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 177]
37. third little pig outwits Wolf; lures him into boiling water. [Children’s Lit.: Bettelheim, 41–45]
38. Weller, Samuel ingeniously rescues his master, Mr. Pickwick, from many scrapes. [Br, Lit.: Dickens Pickwick Papers ]
39. Whipple, Molly outwits ferocious giant and gains his talismanic possessions. [Br. Fairy Tale: “Molly Whipple” in Macleod, 58–641
40. wolf symbol on coats of arms. [Heraldry: Halberts, 16]

cun·ning / ˈkəning/ • adj. 1. having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion: a cunning look came into his eyes. ∎  ingenious: plants have evolved cunning defenses.2. attractive; quaint.• n. skill in achieving one's ends by deceit. ∎  ingenuity.DERIVATIVES: cun·ning·ly adv.cun·ning·ness n.

106. Cunning

callidity

Rare. skill or craftiness. —callid , adj.

jesuitism

crafty or deceitful practice. —jesuitic, jesuitical , adj.

jiggery-pokery

subterfuge or devious and underhanded behavior; low cunning.

oneupmanship

the art or process of gaining the advantage in situations by means of crafty or ingenious ploys.

tergiversation

1. the act or process of subterfuge or evasion.

2. the abandoning of a cause or belief; apostasy. —tergiversator , n.

vulpinism

Rare. the state or quality of being foxlike, especially crafty or cunning. —vulpine , adj.

Cunning

In addition to normal usage implying "crafty," cunning has an ancient meaning of "skillful" or "wise," especially when applied to occult or magic knowledge. The Anglo-Saxon term wortcunning means a knowledge of the medical and occult properties of plants (wort ) and was applied to herbalists. In the course of time, the term cunning-man or cunning-woman was applied to so-called white witches, who practiced simple spells and claimed to discover those putting "the evil eye" on cattle, and who also cured ailments by herbs and magic practices.

Sources:

Cockayne, T. O., ed. Leechdoms, Wortcunning, & Starcraft. 2 vols. London: Longman, Green, 1864-66. Reprint, N.p., 1968.

cunning learning, wisdom XIV; (arch.) ability, skill XIV; skilful deceit, craftiness XVI. perh. — ON. kunnandi, f. kunna know (see CAN 2).
So cunning adj. †learned XIII; able, skilful XIV; crafty, artful XVI. — ON. kunnandi. In both words the ON. suffix has been assim. to the native -ING 1, -ING 2; the sb. was perh. modelled on the adj. rather than derived immed. from ON.