crazy like a fox

Idioms and Phrases

Seemingly foolish but actually very shrewd and cunning. For example, You think Bob was crazy to turn it down? He's crazy like a fox, because they've now doubled their offer . This usage gained currency when humorist S.J. Perelman used it as the title of a book (1944). [Early 1900s] .

Related Words

• cagey
• crooked
• scheming
• shifty
• shrewd
• sly
• sneaky
• underhanded