A
noun, most likely a
back-formation from
the
adjective smarmy. A smarm is a person or
thing that demonstrates an
unpleasantly and
excessively suave or
ingratiating manner
or speech. Think of the
sleazy,
self-serving
used car salesman stereotype. The difference
between being a
flake and being a smarm is
the acknowledgment of the
sleazy party. A
flake is usually unaware they are a flake. A
smarm knows and
doesn't care.
My favorite description of a smarm from the
dictionary is this, found in the
1932
Webster's Unabridged on my shelf:
smarm :
one who engages in obsequious flattery or
buttery praise;
an oily sycophantic;
see also: buttery, fulsome, oily,
oleaginous, unctuous
That's an
old school burn.
a scar faery tells me that smarm can also be used as a
verb. Her example:
"There he was, smarming at me like the big smarmy git he is."
I am 50% sure she wasn't talking about me.