smart as paint

adj — 2 senses

adj

Very smart in appearance.

Very intelligent.

'But now, you look here: you're young, you are, but you're as smart as paint. I see that when I set my eyes on you, and I'll talk to you like a man.'1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
'You have to be as smart as paint to keep this Puddin' in order. He's that artful, lawyers couldn't manage him.'1918, Norman Lindsay, The Magic Pudding:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.