smart aleck

Or smart al·ec

[smahrt al-ik]

noun

Informal.

1. wise guy.

smart aleck

/ ˈælɪk /

noun

1. informal,  an irritatingly oversmart person

Other Word Forms

• smart-alecky adjective
• smart-aleck adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smart aleck¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1860–65; generic use of Aleck, nickname for Alexander

Word History and Origins

Origin of smart aleck¹

C19: from Aleck, Alec, short for Alexander

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Related Words

• know-it-all 
• wise guy