It's a German term that might only be actually used in your presence maybe half-a-dozen times a year. Or you might be around someone who uses the phrase almost daily.
So this is my definition, it'll be a gal or gal who gets into a conversation with you....over business, professional stuff, intellectual chit-chat, or even personal affairs....then claiming that they have a education level to be an authority over this, or simply know more than you do.....so they go to leading the conversation and how you can fix or correct the situation.
Yes, simply a know-it-all, but to the ninth degree.
Should you use the term 'Klugschißer' to your friend or associate (or German wife)? NO. It's best to lead the conversation away from the topic and suggest that maybe their knowledge is missing a small part of the issue. If you use the term.....the other party will get hostile, and it's not worth the pain.
Are there a lot of these Klugscheißer folks? I'd like to say very few, but once you meet them....you tend to limit your presence around them as much as possible, and hopefully avoid their advice. The key thing....just don't use the word Klugscheißer in their presence....because they will go nuts trying to deny this status, and accuse you of insulting them.
2 comments:
I thought it was basically a 'smartarse'? Is it more nuanced than that in your experience?
I'd prefer to use 'smartarse' in most cases (course, never to their face).
But you usually find the K-word used when around intellectual types or journalists...or around some chief in the company (Doctor so-v-so) who has no idea about the process of the organization.
I should add....I'm not insulting anyone....we have the same problem in the UK and US. It's just that you think you have a smart person to rectify the situation, and 3 minutes later realize...this person is probably the reason why things are so screwed up.
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