# Canny?  That's uncanny!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canny-thats-uncanny/73911>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 27, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canny-thats-uncanny/73911 "2001-07-27T00:39:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canny-thats-uncanny/73911/1 "2001-07-27T00:39:20Z")

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Is it an “uncanny resemblance” or a “canny resemblance”?

What is canny?

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**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2001, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canny-thats-uncanny/73911/2 "2001-07-27T01:20:05Z")

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canny (adj):

1. cautious and shrewd
2. wise and well-informed

uncanny (adj):

1. mysterious and eerie, weird
2. so good, acute, etc. as to seem preternatural

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2001, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canny-thats-uncanny/73911/3 "2001-07-27T04:07:13Z")

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Canny is related to _ken_, knowledge. An uncanny resemblance is one that is beyond knowing or understanding how it could be such a close resemblance.