Meaning
Pretend to be foolish or ignorant in order to outwit the clever and find out the truth. By 'playing fool' — acting like you don't know or don't notice — you lull a cunning person into revealing themselves, and so 'catch' the wise one at their own game. A proverb praising shrewdness disguised as simplicity.
Examples
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Him act like him nuh notice, but him a play fool fi ketch wise.
He acts like he doesn't notice, but he's playing dumb to catch them out.
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Mek dem chat; mi a play fool fi ketch wise.
Let them talk; I'm playing the fool to outwit the clever.
Origin
A traditional proverb; feigning foolishness to outsmart the cunning. See [[ginnal]], [[tan-far-si-good]].
How it’s used
Feign ignorance to outwit the clever and learn the truth. See [[ginnal]], [[tan-far-si-good]].