Besserwisser

Besserwisser

See also: besserwisser

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Besserwisser, from besser (“better”) + Wisser (“knower”). The latter is a neologism from wissen (“to know”, verb).

Noun

Besserwisser (plural Besserwissers)

1. A know-it-all, wiseguy, wiseacre, smart aleck.
   • 1973, Robert G. Collins, Kenneth McRobbie, The Eastern European Imagination in Literature, page 103:

     They are not Besserwissers; they just know better because they have had the experience. Capitalism has no lure for them, as socialism does for their West Central European counterparts.

   • 1993, Ullica Segerstråle, Bringing the Scientist Back In, in the anthology Controversial science: from content to contention (Thomas Brante, Steve Fuller, William Lynch, editors):

     There is an authoritarian ring to many of the new approaches to the sociology of scientific knowledge, a Besserwisser attitude, whereby the sociologist knows best and does not need to consult with the object of his or her study.

   • 1995, Gordon A. Craig, “Konrad Adenauer and the United States”, in Reiner Pommerin (editor), The American Impact on Postwar Germany, Berghahn Books, →ISBN, page 7:

     […] that Adenauer was always a Besserwisser who was convinced that other people, even when they were heads of government in other countries, did not understand their own interests as well as he did […]

   • 2006, Arvi Hurskainen, Lotta Harjula, Maaria Ylänkö, Africa in the long run: festschrift in the honour of Professor Arvi Hurskainen

     The proverb functions as a warning to a ‘Besserwisser’, because at the end a ‘know-it-all’ will drive away even his or her best friends.

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German

FWOTD – 23 August 2018

Etymology

Compound of besser (“better”) +‎ wissen (“know”) +‎ -er (“-er”). Literally 'better-knower'.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛsɐˌvɪsɐ/ (Germany, Austro-Bavarian)
• IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ɛsːɐˌvɪsːɐ/ (Austro-Bavarian)
• IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ɛsːərˌvɪsːər/ (Switzerland, Austro-Bavarian)
• Hyphenation: Bes‧ser‧wis‧ser

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Besserwisser m (genitive Besserwissers, plural Besserwisser, feminine Besserwisserin)

1. (derogatory) know-it-all, wiseguy, wiseacre, smart aleck

   Synonyms: Klugscheißer, Schlaumeier

   Er ist ein solcher Besserwisser, dass nicht einmal die Lehrer mit ihm diskutieren mögen.

   He’s such a know-it-all even the teachers don’t want to argue with him.

   • 1905, Theodor Fontane, Zeus in Mission:

     Gewiß, die Deutschen, / Sie taugen auch nicht viel die lieben Schlingel, / Sind Besserwisser, knurrn und querulieren, / Und schreiben Bücher, drin sie mir beweisen: / Es sei nicht viel mit mir; im letzten Grunde / Bestünd’ ich nur durch Compromiß und Gnade.

     Certainly, the Germans / They are not good for much, the dear scoundrels, / They’re know-it-alls, they growl and groan, / And write books, in which they prove to me: / There’s not much to me; in the last instance / I’d consist only of compromise and grace.

Declension

Declension of Besserwisser

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Besserwisser	die	Besserwisser
genitive	eines	des	Besserwissers	der	Besserwisser
dative	einem	dem	Besserwisser	den	Besserwissern
accusative	einen	den	Besserwisser	die	Besserwisser

Derived terms

• besserwisserisch
• Allesbesserwisser
• Besserwisserei
• Besserwessi

Descendants

• → English: Besserwisser
• → Finnish: besserwisser
• → Swedish: besserwisser

See also

• Alleskönner

Further reading

• Besserwisser in Duden online