Smart Cookie

What it means

Someone quick and shrewd, usually said with approval and a little surprise.

Where it comes from

Cookie has meant a person in American slang for a long time, in tough cookie as well as this one. Why a biscuit came to stand for a character is not explained by anything solid.

The puzzle it came from

Smart Cookie was the answer to the Phrasicle of September 8, 2025. The clue read ____ ____, and the words came out of a grid where every neighbouring pair makes a two-word phrase.

Play today's Phrasicle Play the September 8, 2025 puzzle