What's the difference ...?

[EternalOptimist]

Whats the difference between being intelligent, and being clever?

My friends mum used to tell one of her sons he was very very clever, and the other, my mate, that he was extremely intelligent

its been bugging me for years

[Platypus]

If you need to ask, you are neither

[EternalOptimist]

If you need to ask, you are neither

how's the hangover ?

[Platypus]

how's the hangover ?

No hangover, thanks. Luckily did not have to get up early today so slept it off nicely plus I'm sure the kebab helped

[Xenophon]

Main Entry: clev·er
Pronunciation: \'kle-ver
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English cliver, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish dialect kløver alert, skillful
Date: circa 1595
1 a: skillful or adroit in using the hands or body : nimble <clever fingers> b: mentally quick and resourceful <a clever young lawyer>
2: marked by wit or ingenuity <a clever solution> <a clever idea>
3dialect a: good b: easy to use or handle

Main Entry: in·tel·li·gent
Pronunciation: \in-'te-le-jent\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin intelligent-, intelligens, present participle of intelligere, intellegere to understand, from inter- + legere to gather, select — more at legend
Date: 1509
1 a: having or indicating a high or satisfactory degree of intelligence and mental capacity b: revealing or reflecting good judgment or sound thought : skillful
2 a: possessing intelligence b: guided or directed by intellect : rational
3 a: guided or controlled by a computer ; especially : using a built-in microprocessor for automatic operation, for processing of data, or for achieving greater versatility — compare dumb 7 b: able to produce printed material from digital signals <an intelligent copier>

[BlasterBates]

ok so if I've understood this correctly when someone says "you're clever" it is a polite way to say you're really thick.

[DimPrawn]

I've heard sasguru described as "a bit special".

[EternalOptimist]

ok so if I've understood this correctly when someone says "you're clever" it is a polite way to say you're really thick.

clever means your are mentally agile, intelligent means large capacity and better at reasoning.

thats my take on it

[TimberWolf]

I regard intelligence as a form of data compression (leaving one with say an insight, equation, law or a sure fire way to pull women), and cleverness with absorbing/regurgitating (and possibly not understanding) the raw data. Compressed data can operated on and manipulated in ways that can't be done on raw data, and is what brains are for. Think about anything intelligent and I think you'll find it's just a data compression/pattern matching exercise at heart. Any old parrot or computer can be clever, but intelligence needs a lot more horse power.

Of course intelligence and cleverness are just words whose meanings are defined in the various self-referential ambiguous lexicons known as a dictionary

[TheFaQQer]

clever means your are mentally agile, intelligent means large capacity and better at reasoning.

thats my take on it

WHS.