AEE 2354: Is Everyone Smart?

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Ears English Podcast Episode 2354 - "Is Everyone Smart?"

Introduction

In Episode 2354 of the All Ears English Podcast, titled "Is Everyone Smart?," hosts Michelle Kaplan and Lindsay McMahon delve into the nuanced ways the term "smart" is used in American English. Released on February 10, 2025, this episode addresses a listener's intriguing question about the varying applications of the word "smart" and explores related adjectives that describe intelligence in different contexts.

Listener's Question

The episode kicks off with a thoughtful question from a listener named Kate:

"[...] I met my American in-laws on Thanksgiving Day, and they used the word 'smart' frequently. Initially, I thought it was a compliment, but I realized it wasn't unique to me as they used it for almost everyone. How would you describe people who are smart? What are the characteristics of smart people? What's the difference between being smart and bright, well-educated, or intelligent? And which adjective is suitable for someone who excels in math or science specifically?"
— Kate [03:34]

Defining "Smart"

Michelle begins by addressing the basic and most common usage of "smart":

"Smart [...] can mean cerebral, conceptual intelligence, but it can mean other things too. For example, you could look smart, which could mean you look studious or like a good student. In terms of fashion, it means you look good, like sharp and well-put-together."
— Michelle [05:08]

Lindsay adds:

"Sharp or smart in appearance can refer to your clothes being clean and pressed. It veers away from just conceptual intelligence."
— Lindsay [05:49]

Exploring "Bright"

The conversation transitions to the word "bright." Michelle explains:

"Bright has a slight hint of more energy and a youthful tone. It’s often used to describe younger individuals, like a student or a child who shows potential."
— Michelle [07:56]

Lindsay concurs, adding:

"I think of a light bulb when I think of 'bright', symbolizing knowledge and energy."
— Lindsay [08:12]

Distinguishing "Well-Educated"

Michelle distinguishes "well-educated" from "smart":

"Well-educated refers more to being studious or having formal education. However, being well-educated doesn't necessarily mean someone is smart in other aspects, and vice versa."
— Michelle [09:25]

Lindsay elaborates on the limitations of formal education:

"Just because someone is well-educated doesn't mean they've learned to think critically or solve real-world problems. Education can sometimes be about following templates rather than developing independent thought."
— Lindsay [09:43]

Understanding "Intelligent"

When discussing "intelligent," Lindsay offers a broader perspective:

"Intelligent is more about being well-rounded. It’s not specific to one topic but encompasses a person's overall cognitive abilities."
— Lindsay [11:19]

Michelle adds examples to illustrate intelligence in animals:

"Dolphins and elephants are often cited as intelligent animals due to their complex social structures and problem-solving abilities."
— Michelle [11:50]

Highlighting "Knowledgeable"

The term "knowledgeable" is introduced as another way to describe intelligence:

"Knowledgeable means knowing a lot about a specific topic. Someone can be very knowledgeable in one area without being broadly intelligent."
— Michelle [14:17]

Lindsay provides a practical example:

"He’s very knowledgeable about cookware and keeps up with different brands, which serves him well professionally."
— Lindsay [14:40]

Role-Play Scenario

To solidify these concepts, Michelle and Lindsay engage in a role-play scenario set among college friends discussing a test:

1. Michelle: "I can't believe I got a B."
   Lindsay: "You're so smart. You'll catch up next test." [16:34]

2. Michelle: "I just don't feel very bright right now."
   Lindsay: "You're one of the most intelligent people I know. You just had a couple bad breaks." [16:53]

3. Michelle: "I think I'm more proficient in math and science, so my grades reflect that."
   Lindsay: "Being well-educated doesn't always translate into being a good classroom teacher." [17:58]

Through this dialogue, the hosts demonstrate the practical application of the adjectives discussed, highlighting how different terms can convey various aspects of intelligence and competence.

Key Takeaways

• Diverse Facets of Intelligence: Intelligence isn't monolithic. Words like "smart," "bright," "well-educated," "intelligent," and "knowledgeable" capture different dimensions and should be used contextually.

• Context Matters: The appropriateness of terms depends on the situation, such as age, area of expertise, or the formality of the setting.

• Beyond Formal Education: Being well-educated doesn't necessarily equate to being smart in a broader sense. Practical intelligence and emotional intelligence also play crucial roles in success and interpersonal relationships.

• Specific vs. General Intelligence: Terms like "knowledgeable" are best suited for specific domains, whereas "intelligent" covers a more general cognitive ability.

Conclusion

In this engaging episode, Michelle and Lindsay provide a comprehensive exploration of how intelligence is perceived and described in American English. They offer valuable insights for ESL learners aiming to refine their vocabulary and understand the subtleties of complimenting others effectively. By distinguishing between various adjectives related to intelligence, listeners can enhance their conversational skills and better articulate their perceptions of others' abilities.

Notable Quotes

1. Michelle on "smart" in fashion:
   "If you're using it to talk about fashion, it means you look good. It's like you look sharp." [05:32]

2. Lindsay on education vs. intelligence:
   "Being well-educated doesn't always translate into being a good classroom teacher." [17:09]

3. Michelle on emotional intelligence's importance:
   "I would argue that emotional intelligence is probably more important in life to be successful." [10:49]

4. Lindsay on broad intelligence:
   "Intelligent is more about being well-rounded. It’s not specific to one topic but encompasses a person's overall cognitive abilities." [11:19]

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as an excellent resource for ESL learners seeking to understand the nuanced use of adjectives related to intelligence in American English. By breaking down each term and providing relatable examples, Michelle and Lindsay ensure that listeners can confidently apply these words in their daily conversations.

Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2354. Is everyone smart?

[B]

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe today. Our listener shares a story about an interaction with her native, speaking in laws that was confusing. And in this episode, learn the many ways to talk about intelligence in English. I can say to my new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, hey, find a keto friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can. 1, 2, 3. Will that be cash or credit?

[A]

Credit.

[B]

4 Galaxy S25 Ultra. The AI companion that does the heavy lifting. So you can do. You get [e-mail] compatible select apps requires Google Gemini account. Results may vary based on input. Check responses for accuracy. Hey there, Michelle. What's shaking?

[A]

Not too much, Lindsay. How are you?

[B]

Fantastic. Fantastic. What are we getting into on Allers English today?

[A]

Lindsay, who is the smartest person you know? And don't say me. Don't say me. I know you want to. Just joking.

[B]

Well, I think my brother's pretty smart, actually, you know, he's pretty good. He, you know, he's an engineer. He's. He's pretty smart, I would say. What about you, Michelle?

[A]

That's funny. I was gonna say my brother's pretty smart, too.

[B]

Oh, weird. All right. I would never.

[A]

I don't want him to hear this because I don't want him to know that I'm complimenting him, but. Right.

[B]

No. Yes.

[A]

No. He's a lawyer and he always. He's one of those people. I don't know, I just. I always believe what he says. Like brother.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Yeah. Right. That's true. So I. I always feel like he has a really good sense about things and that's good.

[B]

So, yeah, it's good to have someone around who has a very good intuition about things and they can articulate it for you, but not in an overbearing way. You know, you can say, what do you think about this? Just to get this outside opinion. Really good.

[A]

Yes, exactly. Exactly. All right, well, we're going to be talking about this more in a second, but before we do, we want to say thank you so much to our reviewers, guys. We're so appreciative. Right, Lindsay?

[B]

Yeah, we so appreciate. Every time we read a new review, we just, we love it. It just, it keeps us podcasting for you. It keeps us happy. We love to see that this show makes an impact on you. That's what this is all about. So a special thank you to our Reviewer Anonymous on January 5th left a 5 star review. And a special thank you to Muhammad Bala Ahmed on January 1 from the UAE also left a five star review. Huge thank you to these listeners.

[A]

Thank you. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. We do, Lindsay. So we are going to get to the question today. This is from Kate. Do you want me to read the question for a change?

[B]

Sure, Michelle, go for it. Read the question, please.

[A]

Okay. This says, hello, aee family. Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving with your family and friends. So, guys, this is from a little while ago, but it says, I'd like to inquire about how you use this word smart in real life. On Thanksgiving Day, I met my American in laws and they used smart very often. I thought it was a compliment when they said it to me until I realized it was not a big deal because they also used that word for almost everyone. That's really funny. How would you describe people who are smart? What are the characteristics of smart people? And what's the difference between being smart and bright, well educated or intelligent? And which adjective is suitable for a person who excels at math or science specific, specifically? Thank you. Best regards, Kate.

[B]

Great, great question. And that's a funny scenario, being in that situation, especially when you're learning a language. You're in a place where you hear a word, you think it's uniquely being spoken to you, but then you hear the person say it to everyone else in the room. It's almost like a movie or something, right?

[A]

Yeah, there's actually a. There's actually a Seinfeld where. Yeah, that. That this reminds me of. So anyway, Kate, this is a great question. So. Oh, my gosh. We have a lot to get into today. Let's dive in. So let's talk about smart first. So to me, this is the most basic version. Right. And very, very common, which is probably why you hear them used it a lot, right, Lindsay?

[B]

Sure. Yeah, It's. It's the most basic, for sure, the most common. It can also be used. So obviously it can mean cerebral, conceptual intelligence, but it can mean other things, too. For example, you could look smart, and I guess that could also mean Two things. Maybe you look studious or like a good student or something. But more often. What, Michelle, when it comes to fashion.

[A]

Yeah. Well, if you're using it to talk about fashion, it means you look good. Right. It's like I wouldn't, I wouldn't say it to someone wearing a ball gown. I don't know.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But you know, if you just kind of look. It's the same idea. You look sharp. Right.

[B]

Sharp or smart. Yeah. Like your, your shirt is tucked in, maybe look good, things match. Your clothes look cle. Clean and ironed, pressed. You look good. You look sharp, you look smart. Okay, so that's veering away from the idea of conceptual intelligence. Right, Right. Interesting.

[A]

Right. But it could be about, you know, this basic idea of just. Maybe it's about a specific topic. So for example, I feel so smart when I get the right answers when I watch Jeopardy.

[B]

Sure. Yeah. You could hear people say that all the time. 100. So I agree, Michelle, that the word smart is the more common way to articulate this concept. For sure. Right.

[A]

Lindsay, do you watch Jeopardy?

[B]

Jeopardy. I don't see it on TV much anymore. I mean, I have flipped through the channels and it would be on. Yeah. What about you, Michelle? Are you a Jeopardy person?

[A]

There are people who watch Jeopardy. Every single day. You know, my parents watch Jeopardy. Not every single day, but they, they get into phases. I think my brother in law watches it almost every day. A lot of people. There are people who just. It's almost. Because I think it's kind of a comforting show. Right. Because it's been on for so long. I think it's one of those comfort shows. But yeah, I don't watch it. I watch it mostly when I'm with the people who watch it.

[B]

Remember my grandmother used to watch Wheel of Fortune every day. She had her schedule and come on at like 4:30. She'd turn the TV on for wheel of Fortune, you know.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. It's that comfort. It's that comfort for sure. So. But yeah, that's Smart is the most basic one. I don't know why your in laws were using it to describe everyone, but I mean, I guess they're being very nice and take the compliment. So I'm sure they still mean it about you. Of course. Yeah.

[B]

I wouldn't take it personally either way. You know, I would. I'd say in general, yeah, it can be intense, Kate. Right. Meeting your in laws. Especially if, you know English is your second language and they. Maybe they're native speakers of English. That could be very Intense. But I wouldn't worry too much about that kind of scenario.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You can build the relationship with them in other ways.

[A]

Yes, exactly. So let's go through some of the other ones Kate asked about. Okay. Bright. What do you think of this one, Lindsay?

[B]

So I think this maybe has a slight hint of a bit more energy to it. Maybe a bit more of a youthful tone, I think for, like, maybe to describe younger people, I would say.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

Yeah. That's not. Probably not gonna be found in the dictionary, but that's just the feeling I'm getting when I'm thinking about this. For example, your. Your example, Michelle, is about a child. Right. He's a very bright boy. He just needs to apply himself more. So it might be something that a teacher would say to parents in a parent teacher conference. Do you agree with that, with the youthfulness to that word? A little bit.

[A]

I do. Well, to me, I also think of a light bulb. You know, I like. I think of the light bulb being bright, and so that's just kind of the image. Right. I get with that. Yeah. They. They know a lot. There's. I. I do agree. I think there's a lot of energy. Youthfulness to this.

[B]

Yeah, for sure. There's some youthful. I mean, it doesn't mean you can't refer to someone in their 70s as bright. You could. It would be correct. But there's some. For some reason, we might just use this on the younger end of the spectrum. For some reason. Yeah. Okay.

[A]

All right, Michelle, what else is well educated? Yes. Okay. So, Lindsay, what. What is this one? This one is more to me about being studious or more dealing with school. So. But what's interesting is you can be well educated and not smart. Or smart, but not well educated.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Does that make sense?

[B]

Of course. 100. 100. Just because you've spent tons of money on education, which we would in the US and years and years, it doesn't mean you've learned to think for yourself. Right. To think in a critical way and to.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Think in your own way. A lot of what, unfortunately, the school system does, at least here in the US Teaches us a certain formula, a certain template of how to pass classes. Right. How to write a paper and, you know, cite citations and things like that. But are we really learning how to think critically? Not always. Not always.

[A]

Right. And sometimes we're learning. A lot of times we're learning things that we don't actually need in the real world. Like, you know, you never learned to balance a checkbook or you about, like, Your finances in school or how to. How to unclog a toy toilet or, you know, things like that. You know, you don't. Yeah, you're learning. It's, you know, it's the whole. I think we've talked about book smart and street smart before. It kind of goes back to that.

[B]

Oh, absolutely. And there's also other ways of being intelligent. And, you know, I think this is important. You know, some people have uncanny emotional intelligence. It's just unbelievable. And nine, 10 times out of 10, that's going to get them further in life than conceptual, you know, IQ intelligence. To be honest, I would argue that that's probably more important in life to be successful. EQ Y.

[A]

Exactly. So you want to read the example for this one.

[B]

Yeah. So here we go. I don't care how well educated she is, she doesn't know how to read people's emotions and it gets in the way of her work. Exactly.

[A]

Just what you were saying.

[B]

Exactly. There's also other forms of intelligence, like spiritual intelligence, like people who are very in touch with their body, with the earth, with. You know, there's just a lot of ways of being smart.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. It's not all like just if you pass your tests.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Right. Now let's go over to the word intelligent because we've been throwing it out there. So this is to me that overall about a person sounding more. A little more well rounded. It's not necessarily specific to one topic. It's more like a whole person or a whole animal. Like, for example, in this example is. I've heard dolphins are very intelligent. Does that make sense what I'm trying to say, or is it just how.

[B]

No, I think it makes sense. I've heard that also that elephants are. By the way, elephants are supposed to be really intelligent, which is really cool. It's fun to know which animals are intelligent, you know, which animals have that sense. Maybe build families, stick with their partners for life. Penguins, for example.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Really kind of cool stuff, but I actually don't know.

[A]

Oh yeah, dolphins are intelligent. I was just making sure I didn't make that up. I was like, I thought that they were. Yeah, okay.

[B]

I think you can also be. Be really book smart but not have much common sense. And I guess that is kind of street smarts, as we've said earlier in the episode. But common sense is kind is again, kind of intuition about what should be done in this scenario or this scenario. And in the end, yeah, these are all different ways of being smart. But intelligent is. I agree with you, Michelle, it's more broad. It's more well rounded, I would say.

[A]

Right, right, right, right.

[B]

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[A]

Yes. Well, we're going to talk about a couple different things before we rack up wrap up the episode. So we're also going to add the word knowledgeable. Knowledgeable. That's a big one. Lindsay, what is knowledgeable?

[B]

Yeah, so generally just knowing a lot about a specific topic. So for example, he's very knowledgeable about cookware. He has been keeping up with all the different brands. So I suppose you could be maybe not super intelligent overall, but really knowledgeable about one area. And if that's the area that you go into professionally, you're good to go. Right?

[A]

Right. Exactly. Exactly. And then Kate was also asking about, you know, somebody who's really smart with math or science specifically. So I guess maybe a math. I mean, will you if they are really a mathematician or a scientist. Right. Those are the professions. But if you sometimes you might want to use them to highlight that they're good at something. So for example, you could use it in kind of a joking way. You could say, look at you. You're a real mathematician.

[B]

Right. As exactly. Look at you. Right. We must have done an episode at some point on that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Look at you. You are xyz. Yeah. Really good. Kind of teasing someone a little bit. That's fun. That's Fun.

[A]

Or you could say that you're proficient in something. So you could say you're proficient in math or science. So I'm proficient in math, but I don't feel as smart when it comes to history.

[B]

Yeah, I think proficient in it would be more commonly used in a job interview. You know, I'm proficient in certain coding languages. Right. AI coding, that of thing. It feels a little formal for that kind of dinner conversation with. With in laws. Don't you think so, Michelle? Yeah, I would say.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I would say it's a little bit more formal. But, Lindsay, any other that you can think that is specific to math or.

[B]

Science, I think we pretty much nailed the important ones.

[A]

Yeah, I think so too. Yeah.

[B]

Conceptual. Cerebral. I've mentioned those words a few times. Conceptual intelligence. He's very cerebral. I actually, my favorite brewery in my neighborhood is called Cerebral Brewing. And they're supposedly. They use a lot of special science in brewing the darker beers that they create. I don't know if that's just part of their branding or what, but cerebral is a good word. So he's very. He's very head. Head focused. Right. He's very active in his mind. His or her mind. That kind of thing could be other words to use.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. All right. Should we do a role play?

[B]

Let's do. Do it, Michelle. Here we go. All right.

[A]

I can't believe.

[B]

Oh, sorry.

[A]

No, we are. Well, here we are, college friends.

[B]

What's the scenario?

[A]

We're going over a test.

[B]

All right. I can't believe I got a B.

[A]

Lindsay, you're so smart. You'll catch up next test.

[B]

I just don't feel very bright right now.

[A]

You're one of the most intelligent people I know. You just had a couple bad breaks.

[B]

Oh, well, thanks. I think I'm more proficient in math and science, so my grades reflect that.

[A]

Well, I don't think our teacher is that great, to be honest. He may have a PhD, but being well educated doesn't always translate into being a good classroom teacher.

[B]

That's true. Oh, that is true. Sometimes. Did you ever run into. In college, you know, especially because you went to a larger university, right, Michelle?

[A]

University of Maryland. Yes.

[B]

Right. So I imagine a lot of your professors were doing research like that. Is that true? Or at the same time while teaching?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, but a lot of times, yes, that's true. A lot of professors, they're doing research.

[B]

As well, and yeah, a lot of times, like they. They are required to teach, but they're really there to research, to become really well known in their field because they love their discipline, whatever, whatever they're researching. And then teaching is kind of a side gig for them in a lot of cases. You do run into that a lot of times in bigger universities. For sure.

[A]

Yeah. So let's go through this. So I said, so you're upset. You've got to. And I said, you're so smart, you'll catch up next test.

[B]

Right. And then I say, I just don't feel very bright right now. Right. And you said.

[A]

I said, lindsay, you're one of the most intelligent people I know. You just got a couple bad breaks. Yeah.

[B]

And then I said, well, thanks. I think I'm more proficient in math and science, so my grade reflects that. And that, that feels like a pretty formal statement right there.

[A]

Right.

[B]

The word proficient, for some reason is feeling formal today for me.

[A]

No, I get it, I get it. It's good to point that out. Definitely. Yeah. And then I, I am starting to trash talk the teacher. And I said, he may have a PhD, but being well educated doesn't always translate into being a good classroom teacher.

[B]

Exactly. And we did go into this topic in a little bit of a different direction in 2270. Are you book smart or are you street smart? So. And I believe we probably had a poll there too for that episode. So, guys, go back and check out that episode. Find out the difference between book smart and street smart and tell us which one you are. That's always really interesting when we apply what we're learning to ourselves, right, Michelle?

[A]

Oh, yeah, definitely. I love it. All right, takeaway for today?

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's intellect. First of all, intelligence is. We live in a culture that is obsessed with, again, cerebral, conceptual intelligence. But there's a lot of ways to be smart in the world. There's a lot of niche things we can be smart in. So I would encourage our listeners to think beyond just, is someone smart or not smart? And think how are they smart? And start to articulate that when you describe them to other people or when you talk with them. And some of this vocabulary will help you do that, Michelle.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. All right, well, very well said, Lindsay. And guys, thank you so much for listening. Thanks to Kate for that great question. And we'll talk to you guys in the next one.

[B]

All right, Michelle, bye bye. Thanks for listening. To all ears. English, would you like to know your English level? Take our 2 minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com fluencyscore and if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.