| 释义 |
sneaky, a. (and n.)|ˈsniːkɪ|
[f. sneak n.]
A. adj.
1. Of persons: Like or resembling a sneak; mean, paltry, sneaking.
1833Christmas Improvement ii. (1841) 32 She is a nasty sneaky thing, for she is always trying to make us say things that are not true. 1873R. Broughton Nancy I. 142 ‘Did you ever see such a fool as I look?’ say I, feeling very sneaky.
2. Characterized by, partaking of, sneaking.
1860G. H. Kingsley Sport & Trav. (1900) 224 The blue hare..pestering your pointers and setters with his sneaky draws, and foolishly astute meanderings. 1865Burritt Walk Land's End 333 We attribute a mean, sneaky, hypocritical mind to Mr. Pecksniff. 1868Boyd Less. Middle Age 256 That sneaky way in which some people are able to insinuate evil against their neighbours.
3. Sneaky Pete, sneaky pete: a name given to any of various illicit or cheap intoxicating beverages. Also attrib. slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.).
1949Collier's 3 Sept. 40/1 A group which was..discussing the effects of ‘sneaky-pete’, a generic term for fortified wines. 1951[see pot n.5 1]. 1955Amer. Speech XXX. 88 Sneaky pete, marijuana mixed in wine. 1965J. S. Gunn Terminol. Shearing Industry i. 32 Sneaky pete, one of the many vivid names..which shearers and others give to cheap wine. 1971J. H. Jones in J. H. Clarke Harlem 310 He walked around an unconscious Sneaky Pete drinker. 1978J. Gores Gone, no Forwarding (1979) vi. 40 The stranger bought a pint of sneaky pete and he and Sammy went to sit in his short and drink it.
B. as n. A small concealed microphone or other device for surveillance or espionage.
1974M. Copeland Real Spy World 317 A ‘sneaky’ differs from the other technical devices in that it is planted inside an intelligence target. 1977F. Webb Go for Out v. 78 His car had been fitted with a sneaky..searching for a microscopic radio transmitter was pointless. 1978D. Bloodworth Crosstalk xxi. 168, I never actually found the mikes or the cameras, but..I just thought I'd get away from all the sneakies.
Hence ˈsneakily adv.
1966D. Varaday Gara-Yaka's Domain vii. 75 As fast as he drove off one crowd of fluttering birds, another swooped in, nipping sneakily with slashing beaks. 1974P. Cave Mama (new ed.) ix. 77 Peter the publican was hovering sneakily around with his ears wide open. |