What is "smart money"

Smart \Smart\, a. [Compar. Smarter; superl. Smartest.] [OE. smerte. See Smart, v. i.]

1. Causing a smart; pungent; pricking; as, a smart stroke or taste.

   How smart lash that speech doth give my conscience.
   --Shak.

2. Keen; severe; poignant; as, smart pain.

3. Vigorous; sharp; severe. ``Smart skirmishes, in which many fell.''
   --Clarendon.

4. Accomplishing, or able to accomplish, results quickly; active; sharp; clever. [Colloq.]

5. Efficient; vigorous; brilliant. ``The stars shine smarter.''
   --Dryden.

6. Marked by acuteness or shrewdness; quick in suggestion or reply; vivacious; witty; as, a smart reply; a smart saying.

   Who, for the poor renown of being smart Would leave a sting within a brother's heart?
   --Young.

   A sentence or two, . . . which I thought very smart.
   --Addison.

7. Pretentious; showy; spruce; as, a smart gown.

8. Brisk; fresh; as, a smart breeze. Smart money.

   1. Money paid by a person to buy himself off from some unpleasant engagement or some painful situation.

   2. (Mil.) Money allowed to soldiers or sailors, in the English service, for wounds and injures received; also, a sum paid by a recruit, previous to being sworn in, to procure his release from service.

   3. (Law) Vindictive or exemplary damages; damages beyond a full compensation for the actual injury done.
      --Burrill.
      --Greenleaf.

      Smart ticket, a certificate given to wounded seamen, entitling them to smart money. [Eng.]
      --Brande & C.

      Syn: Pungent; poignant; sharp; tart; acute; quick; lively; brisk; witty; clever; keen; dashy; showy.

      Usage: Smart, Clever. Smart has been much used in New England to describe a person who is intelligent, vigorous, and active; as, a smart young fellow; a smart workman, etc., conciding very nearly with the English sense of clever. The nearest approach to this in England is in such expressions as, he was smart (pungent or witty) in his reply, etc.; but smart and smartness, when applied to persons, more commonly refer to dress; as, a smart appearance; a smart gown, etc.

"money bet by those in the know," 1926, from smart (adj.). The same phrase earlier meant "money paid to sailors, soldiers, workers, etc., who have been disabled while on the job" (1690s), from a noun derivative of smart (v.). Also "money paid to obtain the discharge of a recruit" (1760), hence "money paid to escape some unpleasant situation" (1818). Sometimes in legal use, "damages in excess of injury done."

n. 1 experienced, well-informed investors, gamblers etc considered as a group 2 the money invested or bet by such people; by extension, the opinions of such people 3 Money paid by a person to buy himself off from some unpleasant engagement or some painful situation. 4 (context military historical English) Money allowed to soldiers or sailors, in the English service, for wounds and injuries received; also, a sum paid by a recruit, previous to being sworn in, to procure his release from service. 5 (context legal English) Vindictive or exemplary damages; damages beyond a full compensation for the actual injury done.

1. n. money bet or invested by experienced gamblers or investors (especially if they have inside information)

2. (law) compensation in excess of actual damages (a form of punishment awarded in cases of malicious or willful misconduct) [syn: punitive damages, exemplary damages]

3. people who are highly experienced or who have inside information; "the smart money said Truman would lose the election"

Smart Money is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros., directed by Alfred E. Green, and starring Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney, the only time Robinson and Cagney made a movie together despite being the two leading gangster actors at Warner Bros. studios throughout the 1930s. Smart Money was shot after Robinson's signature film Little Caesar had been released, and during the filming of Cagney's breakthrough masterpiece The Public Enemy, which is how Cagney came to play, just this once, the kind of supporting role usually portrayed by Humphrey Bogart later in the 1930s.

This was nominated at the 4th Academy Awards for the now defunct Best Story category. The nominated duo was Lucien Hubbard and Joseph Jackson.

Smart Money may refer to:

• Smart Money (1931 film), a 1931 American motion picture
• Smart Money (1986 film), a 1986 BBC film
• SmartMoney, a financial magazine

Smart Money was a BBC film made in 1986 which was written by Matthew Jacobs and directed by Bernard Rose. It starred Spencer Leigh, Bruce Payne and Richard Borthwick.