The acre in
wiseacre was originally yaeger, which meant 'fool' O, aeger is related to jester).
For the former, on-line news sheets with new product offerings or performance statistics ("ABC Mortgage Offers New High-LTV Product" or "XYZ Mortgage Closing 30 Percent of All Loans in the
Wiseacre Hills Development") can be useful.
I thought some
wiseacre or other had proved that the thing couldn't be done?"
Wise and
wiseacre itinerant reporter (James Cagney) helps an old, sweet publisher (Grace George) keep the small town's crooks and pols from killing her one-woman newspaper.
That costs extra." A
wiseacre's grin curled the edges of Jeffy's mouth.
This is OED's first example of
wiseacre as including an allusion to 'acres', i.e.
foolish tales." Accompanied by Jean Nicolet, well-versed in Algonquian languages from a two-year residence among the sauvages beginning in 1620, Buteux engaged in a theological conversation with a Native who "acts the part of a
Wiseacre" ([91 125).
The self-deprecating yet at the same time
wiseacre quality of this passage is typical of Goldkorn, and, indeed, many of Elkin's protagonists.
The show's main force was Worcester performer Niki Luparelli, a robust blonde
wiseacre sausaged into a bustier, drink perpetually in hand.
Die Hard Disproving the old movie adage that "Bruce Willis + hair = terrible film", the wispily-follicled
wiseacre redefined the action movie with this smart and sassy hijack flick in which his tough LA cop takes on a tower block of terrorist bad guys.
Patchen is a
wiseacre, wary of fools, always ready to have a little more fun than the rest of us are having.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, when the question of where to get lunch comes up among friends, some
wiseacre will chime in with an eye-roll-inducing suggestion, like, "Hey, let's try that new Icelandic-Cambodian fusion place.
After that, it's up to Leigh Ann and her family--lovingly tolerant husband Sean (Tim McGraw), lovely teen daughter Collins (Lily Collins) and
wiseacre young son SJ (Jae Head)--to make sure Michael takes advantage of his good fortune and actually learns a few things from his teachers.
