Wisenheimer
A "Wisenheimer" (or "wisenheimer") is a "wise guy," a "smarty pants," a "smart aleck" (see "smart aleck" in this section), a fellow who's too smart for his own good. The term is a combination of the word "wise" with the German name ending "-heimer," such as "Oppenheimer." The first citations of "wisenheimer" come from New York City.
Wiktionary: wisenheimer
Etymology
wise + German surname suffix -enheimer
Noun
wisenheimer (plural wisenheimers)
1. (chiefly US, informal) A self-assertive and arrogant person; a know-it-all or smart aleck.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
wisenheimer
U.S. slang.
[f. WISE a. + -enheimer, as in German names such as Oppenheimer.]
A wiseacre, a 'clever dick'. Also attrib. or as adj.
1904 R. L. MCCARDELL Show Girl & her Friends 51 He wants to know some good way to reduce his weight... You don't know any such a way? No? Why, I thought you was a wiseheimer.
1919 MENCKEN Amer. Lang. v. 151 Several years ago -heimer had a great vogue in slang, and was rapidly done to death. But wiseheimer remains in colloquial use as a facetious synonym for smart-aleck, and after awhile it may gradually acquire dignity
7 May 1904, National Police Gazette, "The Philosophy of Chuck Connors," pg. 3:
"Dere afraid of him from de time he takes his seat in de big arm chair in de City Hall until he gets de hoof an' has ter get out ter give some odder chair-warmer a chance. If he sez ennyt'ing dey all look wisenheimer an' say, 'I wonder w'ot graft he's after now.'"
OCLC WorldCat record
A Word to the Wisenheimer
Author: M Vickers
Edition/Format: Article Article : English
Publication: REVIEW OF OPTOMETRY, 142, no. 6, (2005): 29-30
Database: British Library Serials
Urban Dictionary
wisenheimer
Someone always making feeble wisecracks, who laughs at his/her own jokes and is generally deserving of severe and painful punishment.
That guy is up there thinking we are all listening to his puerile crap, such a wisenheimer.
by sevenhn February 17, 2006
Wiktionary: wisenheimer
Etymology
wise + German surname suffix -enheimer
Noun
wisenheimer (plural wisenheimers)
1. (chiefly US, informal) A self-assertive and arrogant person; a know-it-all or smart aleck.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
wisenheimer
U.S. slang.
[f. WISE a. + -enheimer, as in German names such as Oppenheimer.]
A wiseacre, a 'clever dick'. Also attrib. or as adj.
1904 R. L. MCCARDELL Show Girl & her Friends 51 He wants to know some good way to reduce his weight... You don't know any such a way? No? Why, I thought you was a wiseheimer.
1919 MENCKEN Amer. Lang. v. 151 Several years ago -heimer had a great vogue in slang, and was rapidly done to death. But wiseheimer remains in colloquial use as a facetious synonym for smart-aleck, and after awhile it may gradually acquire dignity
7 May 1904, National Police Gazette, "The Philosophy of Chuck Connors," pg. 3:
"Dere afraid of him from de time he takes his seat in de big arm chair in de City Hall until he gets de hoof an' has ter get out ter give some odder chair-warmer a chance. If he sez ennyt'ing dey all look wisenheimer an' say, 'I wonder w'ot graft he's after now.'"
OCLC WorldCat record
A Word to the Wisenheimer
Author: M Vickers
Edition/Format: Article Article : English
Publication: REVIEW OF OPTOMETRY, 142, no. 6, (2005): 29-30
Database: British Library Serials
Urban Dictionary
wisenheimer
Someone always making feeble wisecracks, who laughs at his/her own jokes and is generally deserving of severe and painful punishment.
That guy is up there thinking we are all listening to his puerile crap, such a wisenheimer.
by sevenhn February 17, 2006