Know-it-all
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A know-it-all is a person who believes that he or she is extremely knowledgeable, and is determined to demonstrate his or her perceived intelligence at every opportunity. A know-it-all boasts about being an expert on a given subject, although his or her actual knowledge is often (but not always) limited or non-existent.
A know-it-all will invariably dispute others. For instance, someone may present a conflicting opinion or make a recommendation, but the know-it-all will act as though it had already been suggested, analyzed, and discounted. A know-it-all may also disregard or devalue advice from someone who actually has the knowledge the know-it-all purports to have.
Know-it-all may also refer to a legitimate expert who flaunts his or her knowledge.
Someone who really does possess a wealth of knowledge on various topics, but does not necessarily flaunt such knowledge, may be called a polymath.
The term know-it-all has also been used to refer to various projects, such as Wikipedia [1] and Cyc [2], which attempt to encapsulate the broadest possible range of human knowledge.
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[edit] Famous non-fictional know-it-alls
- A.J. Jacobs Wrote the novel Know It All
- Ken Jennings, greatest Jeopardy! player of all time and author of the book "Brainiac".
[edit] Famous fictional know-it-alls
- Alex P. Keaton (Family Ties) [1]
- Cliff Clavin (Cheers)
- Brainy Smurf (The Smurfs)
- Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
- Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)
[edit] See also
