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Nowadays, the term 'smart alec' (or 'alec' depending on whom you ask) describes someone who is annoyingly arrogant and thinks they’re particularly clever. It was once believed that this expression was merely generic and that 'Alec' wasn’t a real person. However, research by Professor Gerald Cohen in 1985 for 'Studies of Slang Part 1,' along with studies by other historians, has demonstrated—based on abundant newspaper records—that 'Alec' was likely a real person: Alec Hoag.
Partners in Crime
Alec Hoag was a thief and a pimp operating in New York City during the 1840s. He would steal from his wife Melinda's clients while she kept them occupied.
Initially, the scam unfolded like this: Melinda would lure a victim into a dark alley, where she would pick their pockets. Then she would embrace the victim, subtly extending her hand behind him, where Hoag lay hidden, ready to snatch the stolen goods.
Eventually, some of these men reported the thefts to the authorities. To safeguard himself and his wife from arrest, Hoag made a deal with a couple of police officers, offering to share the stolen goods with them. However, Hoag’s downfall came when he hit financial trouble and couldn’t give the officers their fair share.
At first, Hoag got away with the crime by running a 'panel game' con. Melinda would take the men back to her apartment—and according to George Wilkes, editor of the Subterranean (who met Hoag during his own wrongful imprisonment), 'Melinda would have the victim place his clothes, as he removed them, on a chair by the bed, near a secret panel, before taking him into her arms and drawing the curtains around the bed. Once everything was in place and the victim wasn’t likely to notice, Melinda would cough, signaling Alec, who would then quietly enter, empty the pockets of all valuables, and vanish as mysteriously as he had appeared.'
Soon after, Alec would knock on the door, and Melinda would pretend that he was her husband, returning early from a trip. The victims, startled, would hurriedly grab their clothes and flee through the window.
Cheaters Never Win
The authorities quickly caught on to Hoag's scheme of cheating them out of their cut with a new trick, leading to the arrest of both Hoag and Melinda. Hoag managed to escape from prison with his brother's help but was soon recaptured.
Alec Hoag earned the moniker 'Smart Alec' from the police for being too clever for his own good. The belief is that the police started using this term when dealing with other criminals who were a bit too sharp, often finding ways to avoid paying the police their due: 'Don’t be a Smart Alec.'
The expression took roughly 20 years to catch on and eventually appeared in print in 1865, becoming part of popular culture soon after.
