street smarts

plural noun

Informal.

1. shrewd awareness of how to survive or succeed in any situation, especially as a result of living or working in a difficult environment, as a city ghetto neighborhood.

Word History and Origins

Origin of street smarts¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The camp, Mistro said, has taught them an essential skill: “Just like street smarts, we want them to have ocean smarts.”

From Los Angeles Times

“He has street smarts and is very populist.”

From Los Angeles Times

It appears that, like many who end up in the big city, some fence lizards develop street smarts.

From Los Angeles Times

School was a struggle, and this was a chance to show that his street smarts more than made up for it.

From Literature

Mr Erdogan entered the contest with many advantages: his street smarts, his common touch, and his control of 90% of the media here.

From BBC