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Glib vs Smug - What's the difference?

glib | smug |

In obsolete terms the difference between glib and smug

is that glib is to castrate; to geld; to emasculate while smug is studiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.

As adjectives the difference between glib and smug

is that glib is having a ready flow of words but lacking thought or understanding; superficial; shallow while smug is irritatingly pleased with oneself; self-satisfied.

As verbs the difference between glib and smug

is that glib is to make glib while smug is to make smug, or spruce.

As a noun glib

is a mass of matted hair worn down over the eyes, formerly worn in Ireland.

glib

English

Etymology 1

Probably modification of Low German glibberig'' (slippery) or a shortening of English ''glibbery (slippery).

Adjective

(glibber)
  • Having a ready flow of words but lacking thought or understanding; superficial; shallow.
  • Smooth or slippery.
    • a sheet of glib ice
  • Artfully persuasive in nature.
    • a glib''' tongue; a '''glib speech
  • * Shakespeare
    • I want that glib and oily art, / To speak and purpose not.
    Derived terms
    * glibly * glibness

    Verb

    (glibb)
  • To make glib.
    • (Bishop Hall)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) glib.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (historical) A mass of matted hair worn down over the eyes, formerly worn in Ireland.
  • *1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , IV.8:
  • *:Whom when she saw in wretched weedes disguiz'd, / With heary glib deform'd and meiger face, / Like ghost late risen from his grave agryz'd, / She knew him not […].
  • * Spenser
    • The Irish have, from the Scythians, mantles and long glibs , which is a thick curled bush of hair hanging down over their eyes, and monstrously disguising them.
  • * Southey
    • Their wild costume of the glib and mantle.

    Etymology 3

    Compare Old English and dialect (lib) to castrate, geld, Danish dialect (live), Low German and Old Dutch lubben.

    Verb

    (glibb)
  • (obsolete) To castrate; to geld; to emasculate.
  • * 1623 : , Act II Scene 1
    • Fourteen they shall not see
    To bring false generations. They are co-heirs;
    And I had rather glib myself than they
    Should not produce fair issue.
    (Webster 1913) ---- ==Serbo-Croatian==

    Noun

  • mud, mire

    • Declension

    {{sh-decl-noun , gl?b, glíbovi , gliba, glibova , glibu, glibovima , glib, glibove , glibe, glibovi , glibu, glibovima , glibom, glibovima }}

    smug

    English

    Adjective

    (smugger)
  • Irritatingly pleased with oneself; self-satisfied.
    • Kate looked extremely smug this morning.
  • (obsolete) Studiously neat or nice, especially in dress; spruce; affectedly precise; smooth and prim.
  • * Robynson (More's Utopia)
    • They be so smug and smooth.
  • * De Quincey
    • the smug and scanty draperies of his style
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
    • A young, smug , handsome holiness has no fellow.

    Synonyms

    * self-satisfied * complacent

    Derived terms

    * smugly * smugness

    Verb

    (smugg)
  • (obsolete) To make smug, or spruce.
  • * Dryton
    • Thus said, he smugged his beard, and stroked up fair.
    (Webster 1913)

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