live by one's wits

Manage by clever expedience rather than hard work or wealth. For example, Alan's never held a steady job but manages to live by his wits. This expression uses wits in the sense of "keen mental faculties." [c. 1600]

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Lashay	-	African American (Rare)
Tugay	-	Turkish
Elsdon	ELZ-dən	English (Rare)
Prune	-	French
LourenÇO	law-REN-soo (Portuguese), law-REN-soo (Brazilian Portuguese)	Portuguese
Malvolio	-	Literature