crazy like a fox
English
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Adjective
crazy like a fox (not comparable)
- (simile) Behaving in a foolish, frivolous, or uncomprehending manner as a ruse for concealing clever deeds or deeper intentions.
- 1911, Peter B. Kyne, chapter 18, in Captain Scraggs or, The Green-Pea Pirates:
- "If old Scraggsy's crazy he's crazy like a fox. What's rilin' him is the knowledge that he's stung to the heart an' can't admit it without at the same time admittin' he'd cooked up a deal to double-cross us. He's just a-bustin' with the thoughts that's accumulatin' inside him."
- 1955 March 7, "Art: The Fox of Paris," Time:
- Paris Painter Georges Mathieu appears to be crazy like a fox . . . [B]y adroitly publicizing himself, Mathieu has recently become the reigning darling of advance-guard art, has no trouble selling (at prices ranging from $600 to $3,400) pictures that take only from a few minutes to a few hours to paint.
- 2007 May 14, Tom Lowry et al., "Crazy Like A Fox," Businessweek (retrieved 18 July 2011):
- Murdoch's bid to get his hands on The Journal may seem foolishly pricey, but he's got his reasons.
- 2010 Dec. 18, Jonathan Abrams, "With Two Trades, the Magic Bets on the Present," New York Times (retrieved 18 July 2011):
- “He comes off as crazy, but he's crazy like a fox,” Smith said of Arenas last year. “He knows exactly what he's doing all the time.”
-
See also
- dumb like a fox
- sly as a fox
References
- crazy like a fox at OneLook Dictionary Search