play dumb

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play dumb (third-person singular simple present plays dumb, present participle playing dumb, simple past and past participle played dumb)

1. (idiomatic, informal) To pretend to be dumb, either:
   1. To feign muteness.
      • 1904, Rex Ellingwood Beach, “The Mule Driver and the Garrulous Mute”, in Pardners:

        I played dumb 'cause I knew if I talked at all, being simple and guileless, you all would twist me up and have the whole thing in a jiffy.

   2. To feign stupidity or ignorance of some knowledge, usually in order to avoid responsibility or gain some advantage.

      Synonym: play stupid

      • 1966 April 1, “Milestones”, in Time:

        Died. Virginia Hill, 49, redheaded, free-spending playmate of the underworld... who later acted out a cameo role before the late Senator Estes Kefauver's Senate crime committee, playing dumb about the business dealings of her many racketeer friends.

      • 2006 Sept. 17, David Mills, "Soft Eyes", The Wire, 00:35:20:

        Valchek: Kid, careers have been launched on a helluvalot less. Just... shut up and play dumb.
        Hauk: I can do that, no problem.