29 August, 2015
Now, the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.
Today we take a look at the word "smart."
If someone says you are smart, what do they mean? Is it a good thing or something bad? The answer is not as easy as you might think.
This is because the word smart has many meanings.
For example, someone could say you look smart or are dressed smartly. That means they like what you are wearing and your physical appearance. To use a slang expression, they could say, "You look really cool!"
But if something smarts, it can be unkind or hurtful, either physically or mentally. If you accidentally trip over a chair and fall down, you might shout, "Ow! That smarts!" Or if a friend says something that hurts your feelings, you can say you are smarting from the hurtful comments. In fact, maybe that person is no longer your friend.
If you are standing too close to a campfire, you could say your eyes are smarting from the smoke of the fire. Here the word "smarting" means a sharp pain.
But the most common meaning of smart is to be i