sharpy
Definition
- Noun:
- A dishonest professional card player: A person who earns money by playing card games and uses deception or cheating to win.
- A shrewd, alert, and energetic person: A person who is very quick-witted, perceptive, and full of energy, often implying a degree of cunning or street-smarts.
Examples
- Noun (dishonest card player):
- The other players didn't realize they were sitting with a sharpy until their money was gone.
- He was known in the backroom casinos as a sharpy who could deal from the bottom of the deck.
- Noun (alert, energetic person):
- She's a real sharpy in business negotiations, always spotting the hidden details.
- The young sharpy quickly climbed the corporate ladder with his clever ideas.
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a slightly negative or admiringly cunning connotation, suggesting someone who uses their intelligence and alertness to gain an advantage, sometimes unethically.
- It is an informal term, more common in historical or narrative contexts describing certain characters.
Variants and Related Words
- Sharp (noun, informal): A person who is clever and potentially dishonest, especially in gambling or business. (e.g., )
- Sharper (noun): A synonym, often used interchangeably with "sharpy" to mean a swindler or cheat, particularly at cards or gambling.
Synonyms
- For the dishonest card player: cheat, cardsharp, swindler, hustler.
- For the alert person: go-getter, eager beaver, hustler, smart cookie (informal).
Related Idioms
- Sharp as a tack: Extremely intelligent or perceptive. (e.g., ) This idiom relates to the "alert" meaning of "sharpy."
Noun
-
a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games
-
an alert and energetic person
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