19 April 2024 , 12:00
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If you’ve ever been accused of being too clever for your own good, you’ve probably been called a ‘smart Alec’ before - or at least some sort of variation. It’s not the nicest turn of phrase, usually meaning someone who is an obnoxiously conceited and self-assertive person with pretensions of smartness or cleverness. Essentially, they think they're more clever than they really are.
But have you ever stopped to consider the story behind the saying? Perhaps who the very first ‘Smart Alec’ was to give the term meaning? Back in 1840, there was a prolific pimp named Alec Hoag who ran an extremely popular and lucrative brothel in New York City.
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Insisting on being paid up front, while his wife kept them entertained, Alec would sneak into the bedroom and go through their belongings. After stealing everything of worth, the man would then leave, oblivious to the fact that he had just been robbed blind.
Of course, with the same thing happening time and time again, people became suspicious and reported the couple to the police. However, Alec already had a plan in place. Making so much money, he was able to bribe the constabulary to ignore the accusations and keep them safe.
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But like all good things, it came to an end when Alec convinced himself that he didn’t need to pay the police any longer as he had enough control over them. Lo and behold, as soon as the cops lost their payment they turned on him and he was sent to prison.
Alec Hoag’s name is still used today to describe someone who thinks they’re smarter than they really are - a ‘Smart Alec’. The fascinating story was shared by Cody Tucker with his 357,000 Instagram followers, who were all stunned by the tale.
One person replied: “This is wild!!! I was not expecting that!!” While someone else wrote: “lol this channel has opened my eyes to things I never knew!” And a third user added: “Mind literally blown!”