Definition of smart aleck in the Idioms Dictionary. When used as an adjective before a noun, the terms are hyphenated as in smart-alec and 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. From Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins by William … : The phrase "Smart Alec", meaning a conceited know-it-all, dates back to mid-19th century America. They've got some smart alec of a lawyer from London to oppose bail. A nicer way to say smart ass. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. What does smart aleck expression mean? Smart aleck definition, wise guy. See more. Smart Alecks, a 1942 film starring the East Side Kids; Smart Alec (1951 US film), a 1951 US pornographic film starring Candy Barr; Smart Alec (1951 UK film), a 1951 UK B-movie Many years later there was a prodigiously vain figure on the New York literary scene called Alec - Alexander Woollcott - but the expression 'smart alec' was well established long before his time." A more appropriate substitue for smart ass, correct spelling is elick. The spellings smart alec and smart aleck are both listed by the Oxford English Dictionary as being acceptable, but the spelling smart aleck is about four times more popular than the smart alec spelling. smart aleck phrase. Find 9 ways to say smart aleck, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Smart-aleck: making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred. Note that in neither case is the word alec or aleck capitalized. You can use this in an office or when kids are around instead of saying smart ass or if you are a stick in the mud and don't cuss. "Don't be a smart alec; tell your whore wife to stop robbing me." A smart alec or a smart aleck is someone who is very clever and who is often able to answer questions in a clever way. Alec Hoag was then given the nickname “Smart Alec” by the police for being too smart for his own good. 41 synonyms of smart-aleck from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, plus 66 related words, definitions, and antonyms. Regarding the identity of "Alec", most American dictionaries point to Alec Hoag, a notorious pimp and thief who operated in New York in the 1840s. Find another word for smart-aleck. Note: People sometimes spell `alec' and `aleck' with capital initials, as names. A smart aleck, also spelled smart alek or smart alec, is someone whose sarcastic, wisecracking, or humorous manner is delivered in an offensive, obnoxious, or cocky way.. Smart aleck may refer to: .