Etymology Journal ยท A
Are you smart feller or a fart smeller?
Meaning
- A very silly, crude joke designed to bait someone into saying a phrase that rhymes in a vulgar way. It is the height of dad-humor immaturity.
Crude, childish
Used in a sentence
- He tried to trick the new guy at the office by asking are you a smart feller or a fart smeller?
- Grandpa still thinks it is hilarious to ask the kids if they are a smart feller or a fart smeller.
- Stop asking the neighbors if they are a smart feller or a fart smeller before you embarrass us.
The backstory
Likely invented on a playground or a construction site by someone with a very low bar for comedy. It relies on the phonetic similarity of the two rhyming groups.
Heard in
Midwest
Vibe check