English Language Learners Asked on December 21, 2020
‘Well, Molly, I’m pretty sure this is a boggart,’ said Sirius, peering through the keyhole, ‘but perhaps we ought to let Mad-Eye have a shifty at it before we let it out — knowing my mother, it could be something much worse.’
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I don’t understand the phrase “have a shifty at”. “Shifty” is actually an adjective word, but here it’s used as a noun. I guess it probably means to let Mad-Eye take a look at it with his shifty eyes, but I don’t know if it’s a correct interpretation. How should we understand it here?
It seems that you have found some slang there.
I haven't found a better source than this entry in a Cockney Rhyming site
The phrase have a shifty at is actually have a shufty at. This comes from the Arabic word shufti which means have you seen? The word was brought into the English language by British soldiers serving in the Middle East and is used as a slang expression for take a look.
According to The Free Dictionary
have a shufti
To look at something briefly. ("Shufti" originated as a military term.) Primarily heard in UK
I think that these explanations make sense with your text.
As you have already stated
it probably means to let Mad-Eye take a look
but you can drop the last part about his shifty eyes
Correct answer by RubioRic on December 21, 2020
0 Asked on February 4, 2021 by andrew-clarke
1 Asked on February 2, 2021 by takashi
2 Asked on February 1, 2021 by alex-s
0 Asked on February 1, 2021 by user113700
1 Asked on February 1, 2021 by user48754
1 Asked on January 31, 2021
1 Asked on January 30, 2021 by breakingbad
1 Asked on January 30, 2021 by stats-cruncher
1 Asked on January 28, 2021 by bluebell1
1 Asked on January 27, 2021
1 Asked on January 26, 2021 by nina
2 Asked on January 26, 2021
1 Asked on January 26, 2021 by joy2020
Get help from others!
Recent Answers
© 2022 AnswerBun.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, MenuIva, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP