smart-arsedadj.
/ˈsmɑːtɑːst/, U.S. /ˈsmɑrdˌɑrst/, Australian English /ˈsmʌːtʌːst/, /ˈsmʌːdʌːst/, New Zealand English /ˈsmʌːdʌːst/ slang (chiefly British, Australian, and New Zealand).
= smart-assed adj. Cf. smart-arse adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > sharpness, shrewdness, insight > would-be clever person > [adjective]
smarty1850
smart alec1877
clever-clever1896
wise guy1920
slick1921
smarty-pants1932
wisenheimer1937
smart-ass1951
smart-assed1957
smart-arsed1962
smarty-boots1962
smart-arse1965
wise-assed1967
wise-ass1971
1962 A. Seymour One Day of Year 49 Going round with smart-arsed little sheilas from the North Shore. It's all wrong, son.
1977 J. Wainwright Day of Peppercorn Kill 68 No smart-arsed lawyer's going to shift my evidence.
1990 D. Bolger Journey Home (1991) iii. 144 I'm ashamed of nothing, so don't try any of your smart-arsed educated sneers.
1999 C. Brookmyre One Fine Day in Middle of Night (2000) 300 All right, Jackson, you smart-arsed prick. We don't have Gavin Hutchison here.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1962