alec
Also found in: Dictionary, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
smart alec(k)
One who makes jokes and uses sarcasm in an attempt to seem witty, but instead is deemed annoying. I'd had enough of that smart aleck's wisecracks, so I left the party early. Don't be such a smart alec, Sally.
See also: smart
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
a smart alec
BRITISH ora smart aleck
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. Note: People sometimes spell `alec' and `aleck' with capital initials, as names. They've got some smart alec of a lawyer from London to oppose bail. Note: You can use smart alec and smart aleck before a noun. I hate smart-aleck kids who talk like dictionaries. Note: You use this expression to show that you find someone annoying. Note: Alec or Aleck is a shortened form of the name Alexander.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
smart alec (or aleck)
a person considered irritating because they know a great deal or always have a clever answer to a question.From the male personal name Alec, a short form of Alexander.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
a ˈsmart alec/aleck
(informal, disapproving) a person who tries to show that they are cleverer than everyone else: Some smart alec wrote in to say that the last edition of the newspaper contained 37 printing errors.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017