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cagy

If you're cagy, you're cautious and wary of revealing any important information. You might suspect a surprise party if all of your friends act cagy right before your birthday.

Politicians are often cagy when they're asked difficult questions by reporters, and parents can get equally cagy when their kids start to ask questions about how exactly Santa Claus fits down the chimney. In either case, people withhold information or dole it out in a careful, deliberate way. It's more common to spell the word cagey, and while experts know it was coined in the US, the origin is mysterious.

Definitions of cagy
  1. adjective
    characterized by great caution and wariness
    synonyms: cagey, chary
    cautious
    showing careful forethought
  2. adjective
    showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
    synonyms: cagey, canny, clever
    smart
    showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness
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