canny

Everyday

1. Canny means clever and careful, especially with money or in business; hard to trick: «a canny shopper». tree →
2. (North-East England, Scotland, informal) Canny means nice, good or pretty: «a canny lass», «it's canny cold». tree →
3. (Scotland) «Ca' canny» means be careful, go gently. tree →

In the lessons

In stories a canny character is shrewd, sensible and quick to spot a trick. In Newcastle and around (Geordie speech), «canny» is an everyday word of praise, and also means «quite»: «canny good» = quite good. Phrases: «a canny move», «canny with money», «canny good» (Geordie).

Examples

• The canny fox did not fall into the trap. tree →
• Gran is canny with money and always finds a bargain. tree →
• That was a canny move, swapping your queen for two rooks! tree →
• «He's a canny lad,» said the man from Newcastle, meaning a nice boy. tree →
• It's canny windy today! (Geordie) tree →
• The canny shopkeeper raised his prices before the holiday. tree →

Note

Comparative «cannier», superlative «canniest». Opposite: «uncanny» actually means strange and spooky, not «not clever»: an uncanny likeness = a strangely close likeness. Regional senses are informal.