巧み

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 巧み (たくみ) is a na-adjectival expression for skillful technique or clever, sometimes evasive, execution.
• Basic usage: 巧みな手つき attributively describes a craftsperson’s skilled hands, while 巧みに話題を変える adverbially describes a clever change of subject used to avoid a question.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Skilled technique and clever maneuver
  • 巧みな positively evaluates bamboo-weaving skill, whereas 巧みに focuses on the maneuver used to evade a question. The evaluative stance is not identical in the two contexts.