If a person is distinguished by his resourcefulness, intelligence, managed to get out of a difficult situation with minimal losses and even get some profit, what word can he best describe? Contemporaries will rack their brains for a long time, and for the older generation, the most appropriate epithet is “sharp-witted”. The term is ancient and is found in many languages of the Slavic group, however it is used less and less due to the influx of borrowings.
Where did the compliment come from?
Many immediately have an association with accounting because of harmony with the “estimate”. And rightly so! The concepts are one-root and come from the verb recorded in the Dahl dictionary:
Without sweeping the force, do not lift the forks.
Native Russian speakers understand this as marking. However, in Bulgarian there is a consonant definition, whose literal translation means “to count”. It implies the ability to consciously or intuitively process information and provide an optimal solution.
How is it used today?
Today, several values are valid at once. A person can be quick-witted, some particular statement or an object. The adjective is used exclusively in colloquial form, which is due to the wealth of situations for the use of the capacious term. In the basic version:
- possessing a mark;
- quick-witted, clever, resourceful.
About someone who solves the most difficult puzzle in a matter of minutes, quickly finds errors in the calculations or calculates the criminal from the very first pages of a detective novel. Other interpretations are also possible:
- quick-witted;
- carrying a hunch.
A person does not need to demonstrate a high level of intelligence regularly, a one-time insight is enough. Sometimes a simple cleaning lady may propose a solution that does not occur to anyone in the analytics department of a large corporation.
To be quick-witted is to give an answer to a specific question in a given situation. For some, this always happens, while others will be able to shine with their minds, to formulate a brilliant concept only once. But this is enough for recognition!
Do I need to remember?
Definition seems exotic? It has long been settled in dictionaries, although it is not suitable for use in official documents. Its colloquial format is far from the youth of the 21st century, but the concept is devoid of negative connotations and is perceived strictly positively as full praise. You can hear it from a teacher, immediate supervisor or from senior members of your own family.
The epithet is knocked out of modern slang, but because of this it becomes brighter, it cuts into memory better and motivates for further achievements. A kind word can do a lot, so be sure to include it in the vocabulary!