Smart Stuff
"Get Smart", a sitcom that ran from 1965-1970, created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, parodied the secret agent genre that was highly popular at the time (i.e., James Bond movies; "Mission Impossible" TV show), and if you can recall it, yeah, you're old. And even if you can't recall it, it could just be because you're so forgetful because you're, like... old. Anyway, it was a huge hit starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon, coining catch phrases such as "Would you believe...?" and "Missed me by that much," amongst others. The show's title was an obvious play on words, the phrase implying "gaining knowledge" but, in essence, referring to the lead character, Maxwell Smart, a bumbling idiot who somehow always managed to save the day in the end. It was one of those shows that managed to capture the prevailing zeitgeist, and although it played dumb, it was actually very smart.
A lot of "smart" talk in that first paragraph, I know. On purpose, actually, 'cause there's a lot of smart to talk about. It has multiple usages, especially as an adjective, having more synonyms than Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have wrinkles. Combined. Right out of the gate, upon hearing the word, you probably think "bright", "intelligent"... "astute", or any of the other nearly fifty corresponding words and phrases listed in the thesaurus related to possessing intelligence and quickness of mind, a moniker we all hoped would be bestowed upon us from the time we first began attending school, indicating our I.Q. was amongst the top in the classroom. I know, the few times "smart" was directed at me, I basked in what I interpreted as the warm glow of admiration, only to be brought back to earth when the word "ass" followed immediately behind. Still, at an early age, we knew smart was good; smart indicated exceptional intelligence; smart meant you were going somewhere.
But the intellect factor, yeah, that's only part of the deal. "Smart" is also a major player in the fashion world. After all, if you're attending a chic soiree, you'd best be doing it in a stylish outfit where you're liable to hear such ingratiating comments as "Oh, honey, such a smart suit" or "Doesn't that dress look smart on you" amongst a nattily-dressed, although not necessarily whip-smart, bunch. That's right, one interpretation of the word does not presuppose the other. On the contrary, have you checked what's come out of the pieholes of some of these elegantly dressed actors during their interviews on the red carpet?... Yeah, not so smart. "Smart" is not just used in fashion; it can also be applied to mean posh, swanky or upscale when modifying establishments such as restaurants, theaters, homes, or, I imagine, even a dog house, providing it has curb appeal, open-concept floor plans, a water bar, and is within running distance to the park.
Indeed, there's so much more when it comes to "smart" as an adjective. It can refer to a certain cheekiness or sass or biting humor ("You've such a smart mouth!") or showing sound judgement ("Smart decision, that.") or being quick or brisk ("If we're gonna make it we'd better go at a smart speed!") or having a refined knowledge of the world ("Aren't you the smart traveler.") or being clean or tidy in appearance or character, or appropriate to high or respectable society, or showing a lack of concern, or having a charming or captivating aura or personality, or nimble or dextrous in movement or characterized by great energy... I know, I know, this freakin' word is, like, puttin' in more overtime than Snoop Dog and Martha Stewart. Combined. Such a Definition Hog. Makes you wonder what happened early on in its existence. Was it neglected? Did it get bullied by some of the more established adjectives in its infancy? Or maybe it's just a bad seed?
Anyway, going on to show just how smart "smart" is, it can also be used as a verb, particularly in situations where pain comes into play, as in "My fingers continue to smart after slamming my hand in the car door." So, yeah, this little five-letter word is about as ubiquitous as Starbucks and McDonald's... And, no, I'm not adding "Combined" as I did twice earlier regarding wrinkles with Jagger & Richards and overtime with Snoop & Martha; I didn't want to overdo it like today's subject seems to do. In spades. The mental "smart" (a sharp and quick emotional pain or sting) I'd end up feeling for being labeled as hackneyed or trite would be too much to bear. And yeah, you read it right; "smart" is also a noun.