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    Sainte-maline (en. Saint-maline)

    /sɛ̃t malin/

    Meaning & Definition

    EnglishFrench
    noun
    A person who uses schemes to get what they want.
    She is really clever in her negotiations.
    Elle est vraiment sainte-maline dans ses négociations.
    An adjective describing cunning behavior.
    He acted cunningly to buy time.
    Il a agi de manière sainte-maline pour gagner du temps.
    A term for a clever trick or manipulation.
    His cleverness surprised everyone that day.
    Sa sainte-maline a surpris tout le monde ce jour-là.

    Etymology

    From Old French 'malin', meaning clever or cunning, combined with 'sainte' for an ironic aspect.

    Common Phrases and Expressions

    to have a clever sense
    to have a very clever mind.
    avoir le sens sainte-maline
    to be clever
    to be someone cunning or manipulative.
    être sainte-maline
    clever in business
    describes a clever person in the business world.
    sainte-maline en affaires

    Related Words

    clever
    A person who shows cunning.
    malin
    manipulator
    A person who influences others to their advantage.
    manipulateur
    strategy
    A clever plan to achieve a goal.
    stratégie

    Slang Meanings

    To be very intelligent in a cunning way.
    This crook is really clever; he always knows what to do.
    Cet escroc est vraiment sainte-maline, il sait toujours quoi faire.
    To refer to someone who always finds complicated solutions.
    He found another clever solution to a simple problem.
    Il a encore trouvé une solution sainte-maline à un problème simple.