Ruse ***

ruse







Y

D



–noun 

a trick, stratagem, or artifice.  



—Synonyms 

See trick.



Trick, artifice, ruse, stratagem, wile are terms for crafty or cunning devices that are intended to deceive. 



Trick, the general term, refers usually to an underhanded act designed to cheat someone, but it sometimes refers merely to a pleasurable deceiving of the senses: to [win] by a trick. 



Like trick, but to a greater degree, artifice emphasizes the cleverness, ingenuity, or cunning with which the proceeding is devised: an artifice of diabolical [ingenuity]. 





Ruse and stratagem emphasize the purpose for which the trick is designed; 



ruse is the more general term of the two, 

and stratagem sometimes implies a more elaborate procedure or a military application: 



He [gained entrance] by a ruse. 

His stratagem gave them [command] of the hill. 



Wile emphasizes the disarming effect of the trick upon those who are deceived: His wiles [charmed] them into [trusting] him.





　

Director Kenneth Branagh tackles the works of William Shakespeare for the fifth time in his career as a filmmaker with this adaptation of one of The Bard's most accessible works. Rosalind is the daughter of a banished duke, and lives among a community of Westerners living in 19th century Japan. 



When her father, the duke, is suddenly banished, the frightened girl is forced to flee for the Forest of Arden lest she risk [being executed] by her malevolent uncle. Joining Rosalind on her flight to the forest is her sympathetic cousin Celia, 



who helps to [pass] her incognito [kin] [off] as a man in order to avoid detection. 



Later, 

Rosalind's [clever] ruse begins to serve a dual [purpose] 



when she determines to use the disguise to gauge the devotion of Orlando, yet another exile, while making her way to the Forest of Arden.





affinity 

kinship kith and kin nepotism

propensity

penchant proclivity

predilection

Tenuous



gauge 

The only problem is that it's hard to [gauge] just how big of a role chemistry plays 

in the [greatness] of a film when all the participants do their jobs perfectly.

gage

is a glove or some other item offered as a [pledge], as in giving a challenge to a [duel].   

throw down the gage to his [opponent].

gouge

(n.) a tool, the mark There's a huge, ugly [gouge] all the way up her shin

(v.) [gouging] cheating, extorting esp. overcharging 

Dingy