Essay

Make it smart

By Samantha Loong

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Smart. It's a great word to listen out for if you're trying to determine if someone is from New Zealand or not. If they are, the "r" won't be rolled. And I think the vowel sound is unlike anything else out there. Try it now. Find your nearest Kiwi (no, an Australian just won't do) and make them say it.

The Kiwi pronunciation of "smart" came to my attention recently when I had a student repeat it after me. Although I was pleased that I haven't lost my New Zealand accent completely, it was still a bit jarring to hear what it sounds like to other people. My student then asked about the different meanings of "smart." As I began explaining to him the differences, I realised that there was a whole world of "smart" words out there.

"You're looking smart," is what you might say to someone who's dressed quite stylishly. But if you're living in an area with high crime, perhaps it wouldn't be so street-smart to go out in those stylish clothes. And maybe it also wouldn't be so smart to flash your smartphone around.

Doing something in an efficient, creative or intelligent way can be considered smart. For example, we have smart cards, smartphones and, on a less positive note, smart bombs. Then, there are some people who like to say things to make themselves appear more intelligent than they really are. Being a smart-mouth or a smart-alec in this way is usually very annoying. And in a dangerous neighbourhood, it's likely to get you killed.

Something that won't get you killed but will still cause you some pain is the act of cutting onions. Surely there must be a smarter way of doing this. There are many suggestions for avoiding that intense, sharp pain in your eyes, but I've tried them all to no avail — my eyes always end up smarting. Perhaps if I cut them at a smart pace, the pain will be over faster.

So it turns out that you really have to be a bit smart to use the word "smart." It can be used to praise, compliment, admonish or advise. It can mean wise, quick, annoying, or to cause pain. You could say that the word itself is pretty smart — it's efficient. It's compact but packs a lot of meaning. But just like the smartphone, if we rely on it too much, we in turn become the dumb ones. Whenever you hear or want to use the word "smart," think of what alternatives there are. And if you do hear someone saying it, see if they're a New Zealander. Just don't make fun of their accent. No one likes a smart-arse.

スマートにしよう

今週のエッセーはいくつもの意味を持つ「スマート」という単語についてだ。日本語でもスマートフォンはおなじみだし、痩せている人のことをスマートと言ったりするが、英語の「スマート」には意外な使われ方もいくつかあるようだ。

The Japan Times ST: January 17, 2014