smart aleck
8
7.5
- noun
- /smɑrt ˈælɪk/
- Offensive
- "You're a smart aleck, Andrew Grant," my mother says.
- an occasional smart aleck
- a little smart aleck
Examples
-
Harry Dresden is a fast-talking smart-aleck genre-savvy hard-boiled private detective.
Blog text (19) -
You're such a smart aleck.
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Nobody likes a smart aleck, Ben.
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-He was a smart aleck kid.
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The smart aleck wants to make a business deal.
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Some smart-aleck called you names.
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There's a big difference between a smart person and a smart aleck.
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Don't be a smart aleck.
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I am not trying to be a smart aleck; I really don't get it.
Blog text (10) -
You're such a smart aleck for correcting everyone in the meeting.
Synonyms
38
7.4
A person who makes clever or rude jokes to seem smart
36
9.3
A person who annoys others by saying sarcastic or rude things
35
5.7
A person who thinks they are always right and annoys others
35
7.7
A person who acts like they have all the answers and won't listen to others
32
9.4
A person who says clever things to annoy or upset others
32
7.7
A person who acts like they know everything and annoys others
7
9.9
A person who makes rude, clever remarks to annoy others
2
9.9
A person who makes rude clever remarks to annoy others
1
9.6
A person who acts as if they know everything and annoys others
1
7.1
A person who often makes short funny or sarcastic remarks
1
8.5
A person who shows off knowledge and annoys others
1
9.9
A person who acts like they know everything and makes rude comments
1
9.6
A person who acts smart to annoy or show off
1
8.1
A person who annoys others by acting like they know everything and making sarcastic remarks
Antonyms
How Annoying
- Offensive
35
5.7
- Offensive
36
9.3
- Offensive
8
7.5
- Offensive
32
7.7
- Informal
1
7.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
smart + aleck
The phrase follows the regular adjective+noun composition (a person characterised by the adjective), so a learner knowing 'smart' and 'aleck' could infer 'a smart person', but the specific pejorative/cheeky sense ('annoyingly clever' or 'know-it-all') relies on idiomatic usage and the rare/opaque status of 'aleck'. Because the evaluative, sarcastic nuance is not fully predictable from the literal parts, the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Smart aleck may come from a real or made-up trickster called Alec who acted clever and showed off. That's why people began using Alec's name for anyone who acts like they 'know everything' and 'annoy others'.