しゃらくさい

しゃ

ら

く

さ

い

Meanings

1

i-adjective

impertinent; cheeky; impudent

usually written using kana alone

Describes someone acting overly familiar, cocky, or disrespectful, often with a nuance of being presumptuous or too big for one's britches. Colloquial and somewhat old-fashioned.

あの新しん人じんはしゃらくさい口くちをきく。
That new guy talks cheekily.

しゃらくさいことを言いうな。

Don't be impertinent.

Written forms

しゃらくさいUsage82%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 洒落臭い is rare and may not be widely recognized.
洒落臭しゃらくさいUsage18%
Kanji spelling is uncommon; learners should use the kana form.

Kanji

洒wash, sprinkle
落fall, drop, come down
臭stinking, ill-smelling, suspicious looking

Similar words

生なま意い気き
生意気 is more common and neutral for 'cheeky' or 'cocky', while しゃらくさい is more colloquial and carries a stronger sense of presumptuousness.
厚あつかましい
厚かましい means 'shameless' or 'brazen', focusing on lack of shame, whereas しゃらくさい emphasizes impertinence and cockiness.

Etymology

Derived from 洒落 (share, 'stylish' or 'witty') + 臭い (kusai, '-smelling'), literally 'smelling of wit', which shifted to mean 'pretentious' or 'cheeky'. The reading しゃらくさい is a sound change from しゃれくさい.