Clever, Smart, Intelligent Revisited

Sorry for not having posted lately but I've been busy with my other hobby beer and my page/blog Kansai Beer Lovers. 

Anyways, way back in 2008 I wrote a post looking at the difference between clever, smart and intelligent. It was a good post and quite informative. Today I just want to quickly review what I said.

Clever

While popular among Japanese English speakers among native English speakers it often has more of a NEGATIVE connotation. It's somewhat condescending, like you are talking down to someone. It kind of emphasizes someone is good at solving problems or playing tricks. It's often used to talk about animals & kids.

A really clever crow keeps getting into my garbage can.

My dog's so clever he knows many tricks.

My kid gave a clever answer when I asked him why the sky is blue.

Intelligent

This has the same meaning as smart but is more formal and typically seen in written more than spoken North American English.

That company made an intelligent decision when they hired him.

My professor is a very intelligent man.

Smart

This is the word you'll most often hear in casual conversation and the one Japanese English speakers should be using instead of clever.

My son's really smart, he always gets good grades.

She's incredibly smart, funny and attractive. You should ask her out.

That wasn't a smart choice...

Have a good week,

Phil