different between banter vs smartass

English

Etymology

1670s as verb, 1680s as noun. The origin is unknown, possibly from London street slang; ostensibly as *bant + -er (frequentative). Possibly an Anglo-Gaelicism from the Irish bean (“woman”), so that "banter" means "talk of women."

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?bænt?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?bænt?/
• Rhymes: -ænt?(?)

Noun

banter (uncountable)

1. Sharp, good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.

   Synonyms: pleasantry, raillery

Translations

Verb

banter (third-person singular simple present banters, present participle bantering, simple past and past participle bantered)

1. (intransitive) To engage in banter or playful conversation.
2. (intransitive) To play or do something amusing.
3. (transitive) To tease (someone) mildly.

   Synonyms: kid, wind up
4. (transitive) To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.).
   • June 1804, William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

     If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them.

5. (transitive) To delude or trick; to play a prank upon.
6. (transitive, US, Southern and Western, colloquial) To challenge to a match.

Translations

Derived terms

• bant

References

Further reading

• Michael Quinion (1996–2021) , “Banter”, in World Wide Words

Anagrams

• Barnet, Bernat, barnet

English

Alternative forms

• smart ass
• smart arse (UK, AU, NZ)

Pronunciation

Noun

smartass (plural smartasses)

1. (slang) One who is particularly insolent, who tends to make snide remarks or jokes.

   Lots of luck, smartass.

Synonyms

• smart aleck
• smart-aleck
• smart alec
• smart-alec

Translations

Adjective

smartass (not comparable)

1. (slang) Related to or characteristic of a smartass.

   I have had quite enough of your smartass remarks.

Translations

Verb

smartass (third-person singular simple present smartasses, present participle smartassing, simple past and past participle smartassed)

1. (slang) To talk like a smartass, with a lot of snide remarks.
   • 2012, Storm Large, Crazy Enough: A Memoir

     I smartassed and smack-talked half of the interview, but as I relaxed a bit more and genuinely talked with them, a strange thing happened.