Is "You look smart" a compliment?

Status
Not open for further replies.

ZOEYW

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2013
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Hey there,

My professor told me in his office that I look smart; however, I do not think I can take it as a compliment in this situation. Okay, my question is is the expression can be used when you are trying to sarcast someone?

Thanks,
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Your title 'You look smart' is a compliment? was incorrectly phrased. I've edited it lest other students think that's how we ask a question.

My professor told me in his office that I look smart; however, I do not think I can take it as a compliment in this situation. [STRIKE]Okay,[/STRIKE] My question is: can the expression [STRIKE]can[/STRIKE] be used when you are being sarcastic to someone?

Had you taken some trouble to dress smartly? If so, it was a compliment.

Did you look scruffy and unkempt? If so it was a sarcastic remark.
 

ZOEYW

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2013
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I appreciate the correctness of the thread title as well as my question! Thanks.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I appreciate the correctness of the thread title as well as my question! Thanks.

In case you were wondering, in this case "look smart" has nothing to do with intelligence. It means "fashionable".
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I agree that it has nothing to do with intelligence. I don't agree that it means fashionable. I could look smart in clothes from the 1950s, for example. Unless it has had a resurgence of which I am unaware, 1950s clothing is not currently fashionable.

It simply means "well-presented" or "nicely turned out".
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I agree that it has nothing to do with intelligence. I don't agree that it means fashionable. I could look smart in clothes from the 1950s, for example. Unless it has had a resurgence of which I am unaware, 1950s clothing is not currently fashionable.

It simply means "well-presented" or "nicely turned out".

IMO, a woman can look fashionable in the clothes of almost any era. A woman in a a 1930's era man's suit can be very fashionable, depending on the occasion. The same goes for a tuxedo.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
In the days when I wore a uniform, I tried to look smart. I certainly didn't look fashionable.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
IMO, a woman can look fashionable in the clothes of almost any era. A woman in a a 1930's era man's suit can be very fashionable, depending on the occasion.
I would say that it depends on the current fashion rather than the occasion. If 1930s men's suits, or clothes of that type, are currntly 'in', then they're fashionable. If not, they're smart, attractive, bold, interesting or a hundred other things, but not fashionable, in my opinion.
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I would say that it depends on the current fashion rather than the occasion. If 1930s men's suits, or clothes of that type, are currntly 'in', then they're fashionable. If not, they're smart, attractive, bold, interesting or a hundred other things, but not fashionable, in my opinion.
'

"Fashionable" is mostly a matter of taste. I have been on red carpets with many women who were fashionable and smart no matter what the era of the fashion was.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I think we've potentially hit another AmE vs BrE difference in the definition of "fashionable". Here, it means "wearing the current fashion of the day" - that's not a matter of taste as such, it's set by the fashion houses and designers, and then by up-to-date clothes shops. Marks and Spencer sell very smart clothing - one of their problems economically is that they don't sell fashionable clothing so they have lost a huge chunk of their potential market.
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I think we've potentially hit another AmE vs BrE difference in the definition of "fashionable". Here, it means "wearing the current fashion of the day" - that's not a matter of taste as such, it's set by the fashion houses and designers, and then by up-to-date clothes shops. Marks and Spencer sell very smart clothing - one of their problems economically is that they don't sell fashionable clothing so they have lost a huge chunk of their potential market.

It may well be. Here, "fashionable" is determined more by the people who are doing the wearing than people who are doing the designing. But there is overlap.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top