fine craftsmanship; delicate handiwork
Refers to intricate, small-scale workmanship, often in crafts or detailed manual work.
This carving has intricate fine workmanship.
cheap trick; petty scheme; obvious ploy
Used for underhanded or transparently petty tricks, often in a negative sense. Common in phrases like 小細工をする (to pull a cheap trick).
His petty trick was quickly seen through.
It's useless to try such cheap tricks.
Compound of 小 (small) and 細工 (workmanship, trick). The reading こざいく is a standard combination.