During the years I grew up in Mumbai, at the school I studied at, being called a 'clever' kid was usually a compliment, a synonym for brightness or intelligence. And while this might be true, a quick check of the thesaurus reveals a more nuanced set of meanings. If you type out the word 'clever' in Microsoft Word (TM) and check for synonyms, here is the list it throws up; adroit, astute, crafty, cunning, ingenious, knowing, shrewd and wily. At best, two of these can be considered a compliment, the rest have a somewhat negative flavour. The first time I chanced upon this anomaly, it caused me to think, "Hmm, interesting," and then I parked it away somewhere in my mind.
A few days ago, I learned first-hand how ingenious, crafty, wily and shrewd can be apt descriptions for someone being clever. I was at a car dealership with a friend who was shopping for a new car. The salesman was enumerating the features of the car for my friend and got to how the steering wheel could be adjusted for rake, or angle. At this point, my friend asked if it also adjusts for reach, i.e. can it be extended towards the driver's chest or pushed away from it. A simple 'no' would have sufficed, but the salesman thought he would be clever and went on to explain that if it extended close to the driver's chest, it could hurt the driver in an accident, ergo; it should not be designed for reach.
The next time you feel you have been clever then, you know what others perceived.
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