How to Make Your Character Seem Smart

So... your character's supposed to be a genius, but you just can seem to channel your smarts into theirs?

No need to worry! Take a look at these ways to make your characters seem smart.

Way #1: make all your other characters seem dumb by comparison. 

Ex: "OMIGAW!" Lilly said. "Really? X= F? B-but--they're both letters!"

Laurianne rolled her eyes at this heinous "discovery" of Lilly's. "I found it quite obvious," she said. 

Way #2: use intelligent words like heinous instead of bad, gruesome instead of gross,  and quite instead of really.

Which seem's smarter?

"I found it quite gruesome, actually."

Or

"No, it was really gross."

You don't gotta tell me, 'cause I know.

Way #3: do not use contractions or slang. You see what I did there?

Cannot instead of can't.

Do not instead of don't. 

You instead of ya.

You get the gist?

 

Please, no one take this badly. I'm not saying smart folks talk like that. But the stereotypes do. 

By the way, the last two will work in real life also. :)