Where does “smartarsed” come from?

smartarsed (English) comes from English Smart, from English Ness, from Middle English nesse, from Old English næs, from Proto-Germanic nasją, from Proto-Indo-European néh₂s — nose.

smartarsed (English): Alternative form of smartassed

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of smartassed

Ancestry of “smartarsed”, step by step

smartarsed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Smart

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSmart
2EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
3Middle Englishnesse
4Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
5Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
6Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose

via English arsed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englisharsedsimple past tense and past participle of arse;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European néh₂s
smartarsed — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer