smart arse
The British or Commonwealth English counterpart of the American English "smart ass" (probably the form in which it was invented, before being borrowed back into British English).
Calling someone a smart arse is intended to pull them down a peg or two for adopting a position of superiority, especially intellectual:
(1) through sarcasm,
(2) by using obscure knowledge to score points off other people, or
(3) just being too f**king smug when they're right about something.
Calling someone a smart arse is intended to pull them down a peg or two for adopting a position of superiority, especially intellectual:
(1) through sarcasm,
(2) by using obscure knowledge to score points off other people, or
(3) just being too f**king smug when they're right about something.
Example:
"Oh, Alice, you're such a smart ass."
"Actually, Bob, I would prefer to be insulted using the correct, British English pronunciation: 'smart arse'."
"But, Alice, I think you'll find 'arse' has been pronounced 'ass' since at least Shakespeare's time, and therefore far pre-dates the division of English into British and American variants."
"Oh, Alice, you're such a smart ass."
"Actually, Bob, I would prefer to be insulted using the correct, British English pronunciation: 'smart arse'."
"But, Alice, I think you'll find 'arse' has been pronounced 'ass' since at least Shakespeare's time, and therefore far pre-dates the division of English into British and American variants."