# To clever by half
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 29, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620 "2005-12-29T20:15:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jeffr062](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffr062)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/1 "2005-12-29T20:15:11Z")
Please explain what is ment when someone says “Hes to clever by half”
---
### Author:  [@cbarnes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbarnes)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/2 "2005-12-29T20:17:08Z")
I’m trying my darndest to restrain a sardonic response.
It means that the person in question is not, indeed, too clever at all.
---
### Author:  [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/3 "2005-12-29T20:21:31Z")
Such a person outsmarts himself. He’s 1.5 times as smart as he should be.
---
### Author:  [@Jeffr062](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffr062)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/4 "2005-12-29T20:26:19Z")
Can you give me an example
---
### Author:  [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/5 "2005-12-29T20:28:06Z")
> [@Jeffr062](#):
>
> Can you give me an example
Showing the boss his mistake.
---
### Author:  [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/6 "2005-12-29T21:06:47Z")
> [@Hoodoo Ulove](#):
>
> Showing the boss his mistake.
Aw c;mon guys-----------it should read, “TOO clver by half”!
---
### Author:  [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/7 "2005-12-29T21:25:40Z")
Wait, this supposed guy is a meat clever? How is that?
---
### Author:  [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/8 "2005-12-29T21:57:28Z")
> [@Jeffr062](#):
>
> Please explain what is ment when someone says “Hes to clever by half”
Disingenuous?
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/9 "2005-12-29T21:59:08Z")
> [@Jeffr062](#):
>
> Please explain what is ment when someone says “Hes to clever by half”
It either means he’s in the 2nd grade, or English isn’t his native language. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/10 "2005-12-29T23:05:07Z")
[Here](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=14132&dict=CALD)is one definition, using “clever” instead of “smart”:
Be too clever by half:
to be too confident of your own intelligence in a way that annoys other people:
_She was too clever by half - always correcting the teacher or coming back with a smart answer._
---
### Author:  [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/11 "2005-12-29T23:23:10Z")
> [@spingears](#):
>
> Disingenuous?
No, that merely means that the person puts up a front - they purport to be speaking honestly, but in fact are dishonest or at least have hidden motives eg “[Politician of your choice] disingenously said that there were no plans to raise taxes” (ie there were in fact plans or something like them).
---
### Author:  [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/12 "2005-12-30T20:05:03Z")
> [@Ezstrete](#):
>
> Aw c;mon guys-----------it should read, “TOO clver by half”!
I have to wonder if you can see the irony of your attempt to correct other users.
---
### Author:  [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/13 "2005-12-30T20:11:20Z")
> [@Ezstrete](#):
>
> Aw c;mon guys-----------it should read, “TOO clver by half”!
Ah, Gaudere’s Law in action!
---
### Author:  [@Emerald\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emerald_Hawk)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/14 "2005-12-30T20:50:14Z")
> [@Excalibre](#):
>
> I have to wonder if you can see the irony of your attempt to correct other users.
Of course he does! It was [SUBTLE IRONY](http://qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=448). Sheesh, everyone! Subtlety!
---
### Author:  [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/15 "2005-12-30T21:09:22Z")
> [@Jeffr062](#):
>
> Can you give me an example
Say a man cheats on his wife
The smart man will use as little details as possible in the alibi , while the clever man will use too many details that will trip him up.
Declan
---
### Author:  [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-clever-by-half/337620/16 "2005-12-30T21:24:58Z")
> [@Excalibre](#):
>
> I have to wonder if you can see the irony of your attempt to correct other users.
Uv corse!