Question: Smart vs. bright

Fri 10 Sep 2010 - 8:52 pm UTC

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Question: Smart vs. bright

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Asked by nautico on Sat 22 Aug 2009 - 2:49 pm UTC:

When and why did "bright" replace "smart"? Googling "bright vs. smart"
didn't help.

"Smart" is now usually qualified as "book-smart" and is quantifiable or
obvious (e.g., straight 'A's, Phi Beta Kappa, perfect SAT scores, Mensan,
Rhodes scholar, Stephen Hawking), whereas "bright" less so (e.g., curious,
questioning, attentive, witty, your four year-old granddaughter). 

"Smart as a whip" would appear to have no "bright as a..." analogue. Why
not? And how about "If you're so smart, why aren't you rich"? "If you're so
bright, why aren't you ________"?

Did "smart" fall out of favor because of pejorative usage (e.g., smart ass,
smart alec, smarty pants)?

Does the bright population exceed the smart population? Might the former
have been created out of the self-esteem industry? ("Repeat after me,
Johnny: 'I'm very bright! I'm very bright!'.")

Then there's "wise," "savvy," and "cunning," traits not necessarily
included in either "smart" or "bright." And what about "street-smart"?
Successful dope dealers come to mind.

Uclue Researcher Request for clarification by Researcher davidsarokin on Sat 22 Aug 2009 - 3:43 pm UTC:

nautico,

I can't offer an answer, but have an observation or two that might be
useful:


Take a look at the history of "smart child" (and similar phrases):

http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=%22smart+child+OR+boy+OR+girl+OR+young%22&btnG=Search&num=100&hl=en&ned=us&um=1&scoring=a


In particular, note the graph at the top of the page.  Usage peaks strongly
around 1900, falls off sharply in subsequent decades, sort of levels off
for a while, almost disappears circa 1980, and looks to be making a
comeback of sorts more recently. 

Now, compare that to a similar search for "bright child":

Overall, about twice the number of results, and a very different pattern of
use, showing a peak in recent years.

Like I said, not an answer, but hopefully, of some interest.

David

Uclue Researcher Request for clarification by Researcher davidsarokin on Sat 22 Aug 2009 - 3:44 pm UTC:

Oops.  Here's the second link:

http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=%22bright+child+OR+boy+OR+girl+OR+young%22&num=100&hl=en&ned=us&um=1&scoring=a

Comment by User myoarin on Sat 22 Aug 2009 - 4:52 pm UTC:

My fingers are itching to reply, but Researchers get first shot.

But David has posted while I was looking at definitions of both words, and
with interesting statistics and links.

As Nautico points out, "smart" suggests absolute intellectual qualities,
something eshewed or denied by politically correct usage in the late 20th
century.  "Smart also has negative meanings: a smart blow, a smarting
wound.
The word also can be used negatively in the ways suggested (smart alec),
avoiding equivalent expressions with "bright".

"Bright" suggests a more momentary description of a person  - less absolute
- the implication and inference is that a person shows sparks of
brightness, without suggesting that s/he is of generally superior
intelligence, something PC avoids.

The other meanings of "bright" (none negative) also have this limiting
characteristic:  bright lights fade; brightly polished items tarnish;
bright remarks are only so in the immediate context.

Any help?

Regards, Myo

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher pinkfreud on Sat 5 Sep 2009 - 7:33 pm UTC:

When I was a child in the 1950s, my mother often reprimanded me by saying
"Don't you get smart with me" and other common phrases that equated
smartness with impudence. Nobody ever complained that I was too bright.

Comment by User myoarin on Sun 6 Sep 2009 - 5:21 pm UTC:

"Nobody ever complained that I was too bright."

Hi Pinkie,  

And your brightness remains untarnished.

Good  - very good -  to see here again.

Myo

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