live by one's wits

verb

Roget 940: be dishonest etc. adj.; play false; break one's word, break one's faith, break one's promise; jilt, betray, forswear; shuffle etc. (lie) 544; live by one's wits, sail near the wind.    disgrace oneself, dishonor oneself, demean oneself; derogate, stoop, grovel, sneak, lose caste; sell oneself, go over to the enemy; seal one's infamy.    ... show more

Roget 791: steal, thieve, rob, mug, purloin, pilfer, filch, prig, bag, nim^†, crib, cabbage, palm; abstract; appropriate, plagiarize.    convey away, carry off, abduct, kidnap, crimp; make off with, walk off with, run off with; run away with; spirit away, seize etc. (lay violent hands on) 789.    plunder, pillage, rifle, sack, loot, ransack, spoil, spoliate^†, despoil, strip, sweep, gut, forage, levy blackmail, pirate, pickeer^†, maraud, lift cattle, poach; smuggle, run; badger [Slang]; bail up, hold up, stick up; bunco, bunko, filibuster.    swindle, peculate, embezzle; sponge, mulct, rook, bilk, pluck, pigeon, fleece; defraud etc. 545; obtain under false pretenses; live by one's wits.    rob Peter to pay Paul, borrow of Peter to pay Paul; set a thief to catch a thief.    disregard the distinction between meum and disregard the distinction between meum and tuum [Lat.].    [receive stolen goods] fence, launder, launder money.    ... show more

Roget 702: be cunning etc. adj.; have cut one's eyeteeth; contrive etc. (plan) 626; live by one's wits; maneuver; intrigue, gerrymander, finesse, double, temporize, stoop to conquer, reculer pour mieux sauter [Fr.], circumvent, steal a march upon; overreach etc. 545; throw off one's guard; surprise etc. 508; snatch a verdict; waylay, undermine, introduce the thin end of the wedge; play a deep game, play tricks with; ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces [Lat.]; flatter, make things pleasant; have an ax to grind.    dodge, sidestep, bob and weave.    ... show more

Roget 698: be skillful etc. adj.; excel in, be master of; have a turn for etc. n.. know what's what, know a hawk from a handsaw, know what one is about, know on which side one's bread is buttered, know what's o'clock; have cut one's eye teeth, have cut one's wisdom teeth.    see one's way, see where the wind lies, see which way the wind blows; have all one's wits about one, have one's hand in; savoir vivre [Fr.]; scire quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent [Lat.].    look after the main chance; cut one's coat according to one's cloth; live by one's wits; exercise one's discretion, feather the oar, sail near the wind; stoop to conquer etc. (cunning) 702; play one's cards well, play one's best card; hit the right nail on the head, put the saddle on the right horse.    take advantage of, make the most of; profit by etc. (use) 677; make a hit etc. (succeed) 731; make a virtue of necessity; make hay while the sun shines etc. (occasion) 134.    ... show more

Roget 545: deceive, take in; defraud, cheat, jockey, do, cozen, diddle, nab, chouse, play one false, bilk, cully^†, jilt, bite, pluck, swindle, victimize; abuse; mystify; blind one's eyes; blindfold, hoodwink; throw dust into the eyes; dupe, gull, hoax, fool, befool^†, bamboozle, flimflam, hornswoggle; trick.    impose upon, practice upon, play upon, put upon, palm off on, palm upon, foist upon; snatch a verdict; bluff off, bluff; bunko, four flush [Slang], gum [U.S.], spoof [Slang], stuff (a ballot box) [U.S.].    circumvent, overreach; outreach, out wit, out maneuver; steal a march upon, give the go-by, to leave in the lurch decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle; entrap, intrap^†, ensnare; nick, springe^†; set a trap, lay a trap, lay a snare for; bait the hook, forelay^†, spread the toils, lime; trapan^†, trepan; kidnap; let in, hook in; nousle^†, nousel^†; blind a trail; enmesh, immesh^†; shanghai; catch, catch in a trap; sniggle, entangle, illaqueate^†, hocus, escamoter^†, practice on one's credulity; hum, humbug; gammon, stuff up [Slang], sell; play a trick upon one, play a practical joke upon one, put something over on one, put one over on; balk, trip up, throw a tub to a whale; fool to the top of one's bent, send on a fool's errand; make game, make a fool of, make an April fool of^†, make an ass of; trifle with, cajole, flatter; come over etc. (influence) 615; gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon; dissemble etc. 544.    cog, cog the dice, load the dice, stack the deck; live by one's wits, play at hide and seek; obtain money under false pretenses etc. (steal) 791; conjure, juggle, practice chicanery; deacon [U.S.].    play off, palm off, foist off, fob-off.    lie etc. 544; misinform etc. 538; mislead etc. (error) 495; betray etc. 940; be deceived etc. 547.    ... show more

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