“Cage” (jaula) you may know. There are other cages: rib cages (cajas torácicas), bird cages. When animals are transported they are often put in cages. To cage (enjaular) is the verb. An easy example.
- The prisoner was put in a cage (…fue puesto en una…). The jailer caged him (el carcelero lo encajó).
There are other uses of the word: cagey (adjective), cagily (adverb).
Contemplate these:
- Mr. Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, was cagey about committing more money for the defence of Europe (…se cuidó mucho de comprometerse…). Here cagey could mean evasive or careful.
- The government is getting more cagey about (…está haciéndose más cauta sobre…) the economic benefits of its policies. Mr. Sanchez, is also very cagey (…se anda con mucha reserva…) about them. He speaks cagily (cautelosamente) about such things.
- Perhaps a friend does not answer your question directly. This is frustrating, so you say “do not be cagey (no seas cauteloso), speak frankly (francamente)”!
So, are you sometimes cagey, speaking cagily?
