Artful Dodger
Streetwise young thief
An Artful Dodger is someone skilled at evading responsibility, obligations, or difficult situations through cunning or cleverness.
The term comes from a character in Dickens's *Oliver Twist*—a young pickpocket who escapes trouble through quick wits and charm.
Now used for anyone adept at slipping out of tight spots: He's a real artful dodger when it comes to paying his share.
- opportunistOne exploiting circumstances
- pickpocketThief who steals carried items
- gaminHomeless street child
- charmerOne who captivates others
- slipMinor error or misstep
urchin · streetwise · snatch · Fagin · workhouse · London fog · street urchin · shrewd · thief · sneaky · filch · cunning · crafty · picaresque · sly · savvy · cap · smoothie
Artful DodgerOliver Twist
Tiny Tim · Pollyanna · straight arrow · innocent · honest John
Artful Dodgernaif
Unsophisticated person
babe in the woods · country bumpkin · greenhorn · rube · ingenue
Artful Dodgergood citizen
Law-abiding community participant
teacher's pet · goody two-shoes · conformist · square · company man
art, artful, artfully, artfulness, arts, arty, artsy, artist, artistic