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Chris -- 2018-04-11
A wiseacre is a person who makes unwelcome remarks, often in a biting or ironic way. The term “wiseacre†has been with us since the days of the Bard. The first part of the word probably comes from the word “wise.” No one seems to know quite how “acre†comes into the picture.
A wiseacre can be a real pain in the neck. At least a hundred web pages acknowledge this by spelling the term “wiseacher†or “wise acher.†Examples:
Bulletin board post: “So partially being a wiseacher and partially out of gullibility I told her: My name is Rebekah Nicole Squirpy-doodle Pumpkinseed Johnston.†(http://www.mindsay.com/comments/freakof … ings_d.mws)
Blog comment: “I know your being a wiseacher with that remark but you actualy hit the nail right on the head wether knowing it or not.†(http://www.ashbrook.org/noleftturns/com … logID=7710)
Post on controversial topics forum: “If you really want to learn and not merely make wise-acher remarks, I will be glad to share my links†(http://www.topix.com/forum/topstories/T … RBPV/p1917)
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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Excellent! That schwa ending fairly cries out for an agentive reading along the lines of baker, maker, faker etc.
The OED suggests, by the way, that wiseacre itself is already twice eggcorned.
ad. (with unexplained assimilation to acre) MDu. wijsseggher (waiszeger) soothsayer, app. ad. OHG. wîzago, MHG. wîzage (= OE. wÃtega WITIE n.), with assimilation to wijs WISE a. and seggher SAYER
That is, the Middle High German wîzage “prophet, soothsayer” was reanalyzed (in Dutch) as being composed of wijs (wise) plus seggher (sayer).
Dutch wijssegger was then reanalyzed (in English) as containing acre – though this latter doesn’t seem to add anything to the meaning. It’s a rather petty Annie reshaping, I guess.
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Certainly ‘wise acher’ conjures someone who inflicts pain and discomfort by lashing others with unwanted knowledge or insights, but I find ‘wiseacher’ works less well as my eye sees someone who is seaching for wi rather than one who causes aches with wisdom. What a difference a space makes.
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Following the interesting comment by nilep I went looking and, sure enough… Wise egger! Might be a further step up the Forum honour board – say 1000 posts? A wise egger was apparently a philosopher, according to the footnotes to this text from “The Rowley Poems of Thomas Chatterton”, which accords with nilep’s prophet, soothsayer. No date given. (http://www.fullbooks.com/The-Rowley-Poems2.html)
Wouldst thou kenn nature in her better parte?
Goe, serche the logges [1] and bordels2 of the hynde3;
Gyff4 theie have anie, itte ys roughe-made arte,
Inne hem5 you see the blakied6 forme of kynde7.
Haveth your mynde a lycheynge8 of a mynde? 5
Woulde it kenne everich thynge, as it mote9 bee?
Woulde ytte here phrase of the vulgar from the hynde,
Withoute wiseegger[10] wordes and knowlache11 free?
Gyf soe, rede thys, whyche Iche dysporteynge12 pende;
Gif nete besyde, yttes rhyme maie ytte commende. 10
Hmm, “bordels of the hynde” sounds quite modern, there’s one of those just down the street from me.
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