What is the connotative meaning of the word smart as used in this sentence from "An Hour with Abuelo"?

The sergeant said I was too smart for my own good, and gave me a job cleaning latrines.

Responses

thoughtful

thoughtful

clever

clever

rude

rude

studious

1 answer

In the context of the sentence from "An Hour with Abuelo," the connotative meaning of the word "smart" leans more toward "clever." The sergeant is implying that the speaker's intelligence or cleverness is creating problems for them, as evidenced by being assigned an undesirable job as a consequence. The phrase "too smart for my own good" suggests that being clever may have backfired in this situation.