on the sly | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)Slyly, in aninconspicuousmanner, so as not to be seen;secretly;stealthily.Synonyms:clandestinely,furtively,on the down-low,on the quiet,on the Q.T.1857,William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 16, inThe Virginians:This diversion was enjoyedon the sly, and unknown to the ladies of the house.1984December 15, John Kyper, “Remembering David Stryker”, inGay Community News, volume12, number22, page 5:He was working for uson the slyat theHerald-Traveler-Record-American(before it shortened its topheavy name), then as now a reactionary, homophobic rag. Evidently he placed himself at some risk to help us, I learned later, because he was threatened with dismissal for his unauthorized use of the typesetter.

Examples:

EN: I'm sure you've done like I did and squirreled some money away on the sly.
ES: Debe de haber ahorrado dinero, como hice yo antaño. A hurtadillas.
EN: Pettin' on the sly Oh, my!
ES: - Besándonos a escondidas
ES: Besándonos a escondidas Vaya
ES: Besándonos a escondidas Vaya
ES: Besándonos a escondidas Vaya
ES: Besándonos a escondidas Vaya
EN: Pettin' on the sly
ES: - Besándonos a escondidas
ES: Besándonos a escondidas
EN: Quick, young man, or the Iout will drink on the sly!
ES: Deprisa, joven, o ese patán va a beber a escondidas.
EN: I think you must have bought and eaten something on the sly again. Right?
ES: Creo que debiste comprarte algo y comerlo a hurtadillas, ¿verdad?
EN: And he can still be seeing you on the sly.
ES: Podrás verlo a escondidas.
EN: But I won't do anything on the sly.
ES: Pero nunca haré algo deshonesto.
EN: Yet, in the end, we'll have to... We can't keep seeing each other on the sly.
ES: No podemos seguir viéndonos a escondidas.
EN: Are you meeting Dan Cutler on the sly?
ES: ¿Te encuentras con Dan Cutler a escondidas?
EN: You won't let me see them during the day, so I have to make friends with them on the sly.
ES: Como no me dejas verlos durante el día, tengo que hacerme amiga de ellos a hurtadillas.
EN: Fancy Emily going to this handsome young doctor on the sly.
ES: Imagínate a Emily yendo a ver a este médico... tan apuesto sin que nadie lo supiera.
EN: Or you pass it to your neighbor on the sly.
ES: O se lo pasas a tu vecino a hurtadillas.
EN: Oh, sure I.. ...I've been smoking for the past year on the sly.
ES: Empecé a fumar hace un año.
EN: By shooting' Jesse James on the sly
ES: # Matando a Jesse James por la espalda.
EN: and to make the geography lesson complete, slipped them on the sly novels forbidden by the sisters, so they could read about love in a cottage in Scotland and love in a castle in Spain.
ES: les prestaba a escondidas, novelas prohibidas por las hermanas, y, así, podían leer sobre amores en cabañas en Escocia y amor en un castillo en España.

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