also: さるじえ
noun
shallow cunning; superficial cleverness
Refers to cleverness that is petty, short-sighted, or lacking real wisdom, like a monkey's tricks. Often used critically.
彼の猿知恵では、この問題は解決できない。
His shallow cunning won't solve this problem.
猿知恵を働かせて、ごまかそうとしても無駄だ。
It's no use trying to deceive people with your superficial cleverness.
Compound of 猿 (さる, 'monkey') and 知恵 (ちえ, 'wisdom'). The term likens shallow, cunning intelligence to the tricks of a monkey. The historical kana spelling さるぢえ reflects the older pronunciation.