<entry id="2071855" stat="A" corpus="jmdict" type="jmdict">
<ent_corp type="jmdict">jmdict</ent_corp>
<ent_seq>2102070</ent_seq>
<k_ele>
<keb>生き馬の目を抜く</keb>
</k_ele>
<r_ele>
<reb>いきうまのめをぬく</reb>
</r_ele>
<sense>
<pos>&exp;</pos>
<misc>&id;</misc>
<gloss>to be shrewd</gloss>
<gloss>to be sharp</gloss>
<gloss>to keep your wits about you</gloss>
<gloss g_type="lit">to pluck out the eye of a live horse</gloss>
</sense>
<info>
<audit time="2006-10-03 00:00:00" stat="A">
<upd_detl>Entry created</upd_detl>
</audit>
<audit time="2010-11-05 23:25:48" stat="A">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_detl>Added additional PoS via batch update.Added additional PoS via batch update.
-*- via bulkupd.py -*-</upd_detl>
<upd_diff>@@ -12,0 +12,1 @@
+&lt;pos&gt;&amp;v5k;&lt;/pos&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2010-11-06 05:12:24" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Scott</upd_name>
<upd_diff>@@ -12,1 +12,1 @@
-&lt;pos&gt;&amp;v5k;&lt;/pos&gt;
+&lt;misc&gt;&amp;id;&lt;/misc&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2010-11-08 21:33:35" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_uid>rene</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Rene Malenfant</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_diff>@@ -16,0 +16,1 @@
+&lt;gloss g_type="lit"&gt;to pluck out the eye of a live horse&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2010-11-08 22:29:02" stat="A">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
</audit>
<audit time="2020-06-02 09:21:53" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Marcus Richert</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_detl>This entry was commented on here: https://mobile.twitter.com/practicaljp/status/1265403983817879553
I think the definitions could be improved, but I can't come up with anything better than "to be very fast at doing something"</upd_detl>
<upd_refs>daijs: 
生きている馬の目を抜き取るほど、すばやく物事をする。油断のならないさま。
prog examples:
生き馬の目を抜くような男
a shrewd man／《口》 a sharper
生き馬の目を抜くような大都会
a big city where sharp [cutthroat] practices are common

The Free Dictionary:
Catch a weasel asleep
To surprise someone who is normally alert, shrewd, or on-guard

ngrams
生き馬の目を抜く	11983</upd_refs>
<upd_diff>@@ -13,2 +12,0 @@
-&lt;misc&gt;&amp;sens;&lt;/misc&gt;
-&lt;misc&gt;&amp;obs;&lt;/misc&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2020-06-02 12:06:18" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_detl>I think this works. The sleeping weasel version was a bit, er, old-fashioned.</upd_detl>
<upd_refs>中辞典: 生き馬の目を抜くような sharp; shrewd
生き馬の目を抜くようなことをする use [resort to] sharp practices
東京は生き馬の目を抜くような所だから気をつけなさい. You must ┏keep your wits about you [be wide awake] in Tokyo, or you will be taken in by some ┏sharp practice [shrewd trick] or other.
ルミナス: 東京は*生き馬の目を抜くような所だ (⇒抜け目のないことが終始行われている) Shrewd practices are common in Tokyo. / (⇒情け容赦のない競争がある) There is cutthroat competition in Tokyo.
Tanaka: 彼は生き馬の目を抜くようなやつだ。He is a sharp-shooter.</upd_refs>
<upd_diff>@@ -13 +13,3 @@
-&lt;gloss&gt;to catch a weasel asleep&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;to be shrewd&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;to be sharp&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;to keep your wits about you&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2020-06-10 23:37:04" stat="A">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_detl>A week without comment. Closing.</upd_detl>
</audit>
</info>
</entry>