smart-arse

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smart-arse

rude slang One who makes jokes and uses sarcasm in an attempt to seem witty, but instead is deemed annoying. Primarily heard in UK. OK, smart-arse, are you going to help me, or just stand there mocking me all night?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • wisenheimer
  • a smart alec
  • alec
  • aleck
  • smart alec
  • smart alec(k)
  • smart aleck
  • weisenheimer
References in periodicals archive
They value the smart-arse over the funny, and the obscure over the popular.
Bushell on the Box: Fun feast falls flat!
And it added that Liverpool had done a wonderful job in throwing off its 'largely ridiculous reputation' as a city 'full of smart-arse scallies who would as soon nick your car as tell you a joke'.
Time Off: British travel: Seems like it's not so grim up North
Thanks to the cartoon series The Simpsons, my lot (along with many others) have a ready-made set of smart-arse put-downs to meet any conundrum I might throw at them.
VALERIE HILL: Heading for fogeydom at the double
However, using this technique to get off the hook for a smart-arse jibe you know you should never have made is a poor excuse.
Gordon Waddell: Comedy of errors is no joke
"We were 11 points behind Wigan at some stage so if anyone thinks I'm going to be a smart-arse and glib about where we are they are completely wrong.
WOLVES NOT COUNTING THEIR CHICKENS; COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP TONIGHT'S ACTION McCarthy: We're leaders now, but there's a long way to go Wolves v Reading tonight, 7.45pm
And for any smart-arse who suggests I should have taken the LUAS - my house isn't on the bleedin' line.
IRISH MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Bank Hol ordeal of jams and spenders
It involved smart-arse students spotting a Burberry-capped moron (not that difficult, as they can usually be found smoking 'jazz cigarettes' outside Magistrates courts) taking his picture and pasting it up on a website.
Will Batchelor: Press snobbery over chavs and have-nots; Joke really is wearing a bit thin now
This smart-arse attitude gives England a flicker of hope this weekend.
Rugby Union: OZ ON OZ; iRB RUGBY WORLD CUP 2007 FRANCE Quarter Final countdown: England v Australia, this Saturday in Marseille, KO 2PM Smart ar**s give us half a chance
Smart-arse Gary Lineker: ``(It means) `Iron' in Spanish, Hierro.
On the Bounce: OTB briefs
I always thought Martin O'Neill was cut out for a future in management because he was bright and sharp, a right smart-arse who was fully prepared to stand his ground and answer back when he believed he was right - BRIAN CLOUGH in his autobiography, Walking on Water.
Football: The verdict on Celtic's super-boss
Smart-arse punters always say that you shouldn't have a bet in this competition until you hear the team news but I always bet beforehand because that way I have an excuse when it loses.
RESULT!: Cup that leaves bitter taste; IN ASSOCIATION WITH betfair.com
Motormouth Rock typically whines his smart-arse lines in endless chases and shoot-em-ups in Prague and New York.
Review MOVIES: Rock and a hard place; BAD COMPANY (12)
Still, I suppose we should be thankful it wasn't a smart-arse Johnny Vaughan voiceover with a Busted soundtrack.
SPORT ON TV: No shocks in England unplugged
"He can be a bit of a smart-arse sometimes, but in a funny way."
I received death threats because I dared to take a pop at Irish rugby star Ronan O'Gara; TORMENT FOR AUSSIE OVER PITCH PUNCH-UP
chose Bruno as its subject this week, and made a refreshing change from the recent spate of smart-arse lightweight "documentaries" on sporting subjects.
TV SPORT: So Frank about a mind in torment