street smarts

Someone who knows when to avoid potentially negative situations, that even with a favourable outcome, will not result in any value to them. Also able to read between the lines.

Tony did not have street smarts because he went down the dark alleyway instead of the one that had sunshine and flowers.

by Street smart May 01, 2009

street smarts

Street smarts is the ability to survive in dangerous situations, fighting skills, and able to blend in with many different types of people.

I went to Compton and I survived the night therefore I have street smarts.

by Goran2012 January 27, 2011

Street Smarts

What John Mulaney was taught by J.J. Bittenbinder all those years ago.

Person 1: I just escaped a kidnapper by throwing my money clip far away and running!
John Mulaney: STREET SMARTS

by BigBlueBunnyBehindBenches January 28, 2021

Street smart

A trait that helps one cope with the everyday person or situation in the Ghetto and ALSO in personal life and business. A people person. One good with words. Smooth-talker.

My uncle, the business owner, is rarely taken advantage of because he is street smart.

by bearclaw/// July 24, 2009

street-smarts

all the education, business savvy, know how and skills that the person has acquired through personal experience, outside the official public education system and outside the family setting (without being taught by family members).

boy one: who do you think Donald Trump is more likely to hire at the end his show The Apprentice, is it someone who is school-smart and possibly Ivy League educated, or someone who has more street-smarts?

boy two: Dunno. we'll have to watch until the end of this current season of The Apprentice and find out.

by Sexydimma July 28, 2012

Street Smart

A common trait for many people, especially males, that usually grew up either in the inner city or hardworking rural environment. Average intelligence, common sense, lack of interest in reading, ability to fix most anything without needing an instruction manual, skill at handling difficult people, and a refreshing lack of personal warmth are typical traits. People who lack street smarts usually grew up or live in the suburbs, work a white collar job, regular churchgoers, stay in their personal protective cocoon, shelter their kids, and hire people to fix their things.

Street Smart

by waspcoloredstain October 26, 2013

street smarts

one who is knowledgible at some art of illegal activity. understands the code and conduct held within a certain crime family/ies.

the term came from the common street hoodlum who knows how to succeed in areas that don't necessaryly need a formal education to get ahead in life.

for instance a group(crew) of criminals enterprise at trafficing and selling narcotics. they need some type of illegal practice for processing, smuggling, marketing and laundering money for their underground buisness. since the buisness is illegal, they set rules and regulations to keep the buisness from toppling. in doing so they from a "family" to keep outsiders from interfering and make their own checks and balances within their own "family" inorder to get rid of any potential rogue members; some of the codes that one would hold is that they:
* did not cooperate with authorities
* maintained self-control in the face of adversity
* carried out vendettas to avenge any slight suffering by his family(gang)
* did not forgive or forget
* maintained his demeanor within his ranking in a criminal hierarchy

it could be as petty like knowning how to card a door open, start a car without keys to a professional con-artist, a hit man, loan shark, ect...

carlo gambino had street smarts. that's why he was known in his neighborhood as a wiseguy.

by x October 11, 2004