British Dopers: Word usage question

[Apollyon]

Sounds like a plan. “Clever” does convey a tone of “witty”, so if that’s not what you’re going for it mightn’t fit.

[Aquadementia]

What ever happened to winsome and thee?

@Charley

Nah, you’ve totally lifted ‘sort’ from Wodehouse. Never in a million years - or at least in the last 40 :).

ETA: OP, agree with your slightly revised version. And ‘old fart’ or ‘old bloke’ would both work IMO.

You’re a cheeky sort of devil.

[SanVito]

@Apollyon

From Notting Hill:
Bernie: “I see friends from university – clever chaps – been in the business longer than you – they’re scraping by on seven, eight thousand a year”.

(Kiwi myself, not British, but “clever chap” sounds appropriate and euphonious fwiw).

But that bloke in Notting Hill is deliberately written to sound like a slightly posh, out of touch twit. I’ve never uttered the words ‘clever chap’ in my life. ‘Bright chap’ yes, ‘bright guy’ yes, even bright bloke, if I want to get down with the people, but not ‘clever chap’.

[SanVito]

@GuanoLad

I think I’d try “sod” if it was my own writing.

Or is that too dismissive?

Actually, I think that would be quite appropriate, depending on the audience.

[Novelty_Bobble]

@Ximenean

He wouldn’t say “smart”, unless he were tailoring his English to an American listener.

Not necessarily the case at all. “smart” is used frequently enough in UK english to mean both “well dressed” and “clever”. Context is everything.

For the situation described by the OP I reckon “smart guy” or “clever bloke” would ring true to me. (UK citizen on nodding terms with posh people)

[Ximenean]

@Novelty_Bobble

Not necessarily the case at all. “smart” is used frequently enough in UK english to mean both “well dressed” and “clever”. Context is everything.

Context is everything, indeed. Of course “smart”, in the American sense, has become common in British English. But put next to the very traditional word “chap”, it doesn’t sound right. A stuffy person would say “bright chap”, clever chap" or whatever; a young person might say “smart guy”. Neither would say “smart chap” unless they were some hideous trendster going for retro po-mo irony.

The OP’s example is about 35. Is that old or young? To me, it is young enough to be unlikely to use “chap” unless old-fashioned or using it in an ironic manner.

[Novelty_Bobble]

@Ximenean

Context is everything, indeed. Of course “smart”, in the American sense, has become common in British English. But put next to the very traditional word “chap”, it doesn’t sound right. A stuffy person would say “bright chap”, clever chap" or whatever; a young person might say “smart guy”. Neither would say “smart chap” unless they were some hideous trendster going for retro po-mo irony.

The OP’s example is about 35. Is that old or young? To me, it is young enough to be unlikely to use “chap” unless old-fashioned or using it in an ironic manner.

Fully agree, “Smart guy” works, “smart chap” doesn’t.

[Infovore]

@Ximenean

The OP’s example is about 35. Is that old or young? To me, it is young enough to be unlikely to use “chap” unless old-fashioned or using it in an ironic manner.

He is using it in a bit of an ironic manner. He’s definitely not a hipster–he’s cool, but not trendy. And since he’s living in America and has been for several years, he does slightly err on the side of “Britishness” because he finds that people respond to that and kind of expect it.