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smart aleck

 - 3 dictionary results

smart aleck

  [al-ik]
Use smart aleck in a Sentence
–noun
1. an obnoxiously conceited person.
2. a wise guy.
Origin:
1860–65, Americanism; generic use of Aleck, nickname for Alexander

Related forms:
smart-al⋅eck⋅y, smart-aleck, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To smart aleck
smart al·eck   (āl'ĭk)   
n.   Informal

  1. A person regarded as obnoxiously self-assertive.

  2. An impudent person.


[Perhaps after Aleck Hoag, 19th-century American confidence man and thief.]
smart'-al'eck (smärt'āl'ĭk), smart'-al'eck·y (-ĭ-kē) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Idioms & Phrases

smart aleck

An impudent or obnoxiously self-assertive individual, a wise guy, as in New teachers often have a hard time coping with the smart alecks in their classes. This expression, dating from the mid-1800s, probably alluded to a person of this description who was named Alec or Alexander, but his identity has been lost.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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