clever (redirected from clevernesses)

a clever clogs  (British & Australian humorous) also a clever boots (Australian humorous)

if you call someone a clever clogs, you mean that they are very clever I bet old clever clogs here knows the answer.

See also: clog

a clever dick  (British & Australian)

someone who tries too hard to show that they are clever, in a way which annoys other people He's such a clever dick, talking loudly on the phone in lots of different languages.

See also: dick

be too clever by half  (British)

to be too confident of your own intelligence in a way that annoys other people At school he had a reputation for arrogance. 'Too clever by half' was how one former teacher described him.

See box clever

See also: half

box clever  (British)

to behave in a clever and sometimes slightly dishonest way to try to achieve a result you want

Usage notes: A good boxer (= man who fights as a sport) is a person who uses skill as well as strength to win fights.

Obviously he would have to box clever in the witness stand to avoid implicating himself.

See also: box