cunningness

Both “Squid Game” and the reality competition series “Squid Game: The Challenge,” which premiered Nov. 22, pushed contestants to the brink, testing their mental strength and cunningness.

From Aesop's wolf in sheep's clothing, to Old Man Coyote in Plains Indians myths, to the Br'er Rabbit stories of the Southern United States, animal cunningness is a universal theme in human folklore.

“They have a cunningness to them too. It’s almost perceptible when you look at one. Just the way it looks at you, you can tell it’s an animal with a lot on the ball.”

“It is burning with cunningness,” he said in a statement.

Its first story, “Pricey Locksmith,” told the tale of someone who, “tired of the cunningness of the New Yorkers,” relocates to New Jersey in search of a more peaceful life.