cagey
adj/ˈkeɪd͡ʒi/
Etymology Initially US colloquial, of unknown origin. A connection with the behavior of caged prisoners (wary and closed-lipped) and caged animals (wary) has been speculated. If so, by surface analysis, cage + -y.
1
Wary, careful, shrewd.
- We move like cagey tigers / Oh, we couldn't get closer than this1983, Robert Smith, “The Lovecats”, performed by The Cure:
- Samara: I will be in the shadows watching, Shepard. You will never be alone -- this I swear. But you cannot barge in with guns and allies. Samara: Morinth is far too cagey -- she'd simply disappear. This is a subtle, delicate act. Trust me.2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Omega (Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi):
1 more example
- But with both sides in the Premier League's bottom three before the game began, the three points at stake made for a cagey match.2011 February 6, Alistair Magowan, “West Ham 0 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC:
2
Uncommunicative; unwilling or hesitant to give information.
- John F Kennedy’s secret talks with Soviet intelligence, surreptitious tape recordings and “girlfriend system” create a new portrait of a cunning and cagey JFK, according to a historian who has researched a treasure trove of recently released recordings and papers of the late president.2015 October 7, Alan Yuhas, “JFK: declassified documents reveal a cunning and cagey president”, in The Guardian:
- During a long interview about the startup, Bader and his co-founder Sean Dadashi were cagey about exactly how Ikaria works, as it’s still in development.2020 February 18, Josh Constine, “Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria”, in TechCrunch, archived from the original on 01 Jun 2020: