canny
adjective, adverbRegionalNorth of England
A British English slang term. Browse all British slang.
What it means
In the North East of England: good, pleasant, considerable. A canny lad is a nice bloke; canny good means very good.
In standard English and in Scotland: shrewd, cautious. A different word entirely in practice.
The two senses are genuinely separate, and the regional one surprises outsiders.
In use
He's a canny lad, you'll get on.
Note: Tyneside usage — 'nice', not 'shrewd'.
There was a canny few people there.