wiseacre

From Middle Dutch wijssegger (“soothsayer”), from Old High German wīzzago, wīzago (“wise man, prophet, soothsayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wītagō (“wise one; prophet”). Cognate with Old English wītga (“wise man, prophet”). See also German Weissager (“soothsayer, seer”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈwaɪzeɪkə(ɹ)/

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wiseacre (plural wiseacres)

2. One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who is wisecracking; an insolent upstart.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:know-it-all

   • 1869, Mark Twain, the Innocents Abroad, Random House, published 2003, pages 298–299:

     That other class of wiseacres who twist prophecy in such a manner as to make it promise the destruction and desolation of the same city, use judgement just as bad, since the city is in a very flourishing condition now, unhappily for them.

   • 1992 August 5, Daniel Ruth, “Failing to nail dismount won’t ruin your life”, in The Tampa Tribune, Tampa, Fla., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2-BayLife, column 1:

     But noooooo! Some wiseacre “expert” will patronizingly explain that because gymnast Kim Zmeskal’s left little toenail was off center by the length of an eyelash, the judges will be forced to dock a tenth of a point from her score.

3. (obsolete) A learned or wise man. [from before 1600]
   • 1776, George Colman, The Deuce is in him. A farce of two acts, page 24:

     A fool's paradise is better than a wiseacre's purgatory.

   • 1828, Henry Dana Ward, Free Masonry, page 46:

     Peter Gower, a Grecian, journied for cunning in Egypt, and in Syria, and in every land where the Venetians had planted Masonry; and winning entrance into all lodges of Masons, he learned much, and returned and dwelt in Grecia Magna; watching and becoming a mighty wiseacre, and greatly renowned, and here he framed a grat lodge at Groton, (Crotona. Mr. Locke,) and maked many Masons; wherefrom, in process of time, the art passed into England.

   • 1970, Daniel Halpern, Antæus, page 40:

     At their village the woman consulted the local wiseacre, explaining the difficulties her son-in-law was creating.

wiseacre (third-person singular simple present wiseacres, present participle wiseacring, simple past and past participle wiseacred)

1. To act like a wiseacre; to wisecrack.