Meanings
alternative cleverclogs · alternative clever-clogs
- IrelandUKcolloquialSomebody who is rather too clever; a smart aleck; sometimes used as an epithet.
'Yes, perfect. Mr Clever Clogs has done it again!'
2013, Lynda Bellingham, Tell Me Tomorrow, Simon & Schuster, page 4092 more examples
'Not in itself,' said the Doctor, holding the gun at arm's length. 'But you tell me, what happens if some clever clogs gets this in his lab? Finds out how it works? The human race gets the secret of Dalek weapons. You'll all be dead by Wednesday week.'
2006, Gareth Roberts, I Am a Dalek, BBC Books, page 39'All right then, clever-clogs,' said Yasmin. 'Any idea which one?'
2011, Tom Bradman, Tony Bradman, Space School: Blast Off!, Bloomsbury (A & C Black), page 49Synonyms: Buddha, clever dick, know-all, know-it-all, smart aleck, smart ass, smarty, smarty pants
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomebody who is rather too clever; a smart aleck; sometimes used as an epithet.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan intellectual who is ostentatiously and irritatingly knowledgeable
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
German Schlaumeier, Schlauberger
- Schlaumeieraleck
- Schlaubergeraleck
- Neunmalklugeraleck
- Neunmalklugealeck
Polish mądrala, mędrek
- mądralaaleck
- mędrekaleck
Cite this entry
clever clogs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clever%20clogs
“clever clogs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clever%20clogs. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clever clogs,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clever%20clogs.
Source: clever clogs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.