nauky, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

nauky adj.

also knackety, knacky, knawky, nacky, nawky

[Scot. knaw; ult. SE know]

cunning, resourceful.

1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: nacky ingenious.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue [as cit. 1785.
1826		Vulgarities of Speech Corrected (2009) 169: To be nacky, or to have a nack, To be dextrous or expert.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum [as cit. 1785].
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 51: Nacky, ingenious.
1997		Share Slanguage 195/2: nauky/nawky/knacky/knawky/knackety [...] (Ulster). Cute, cunning, skilful, resourceful.