---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cleverness is like rouge - liberal…"
description: "\"Cleverness is like rouge - liberal application makes a woman look common and desperate. Wit is knowing how to apply it.\" — Tessa Dare"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/tessa-dare-564_application_cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-applica_820408.png"
---

#  Cleverness is like rouge - liberal application makes a…

![“Cleverness is like rouge - liberal application makes a woman look common and desperate. Wit is knowing how to apply it.” quote by Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/tessa-dare-564_application_cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-applica_820408.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/tessa-dare-564_application_cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-applica_820408.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/tessa-dare-564_application_cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-applica_820408.png)

> “Cleverness is like rouge - liberal application makes a woman look common and desperate. Wit is knowing how to apply it.”

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Excessive cleverness appears superficial; true wit is purposeful and discerning.

**In simple terms:** Too much cleverness looks cheap; real wit is purposeful.

Key Takeaway

Use wit wisely, not excessively.

Themes

humor self‑presentation authenticity

Mood

playful reflective

Type

advice observational

When to use this quote

- dating
- public speaking
- writing
- networking

Key Concepts

social perception self‑awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance cleverness with sincerity?
- When does wit become counterproductive?

A Different Perspective

Wit can be misinterpreted if context is unclear.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/)

## Related quotes

> [The art of investment has one characteristic that is not generally appreciated. A creditable, if unspectacular, result can be achieved by the lay investor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-art-of-investment-has-one-characteristic-that-is-not-generally/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [When a man makes a woman his wife, it's the highest compliment he can pay her, and it's usually the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/when-a-man-makes-a-woman-his-wife-it-s-the-highest-compliment-he-can-2/)

[Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/)

> [Attitude makes the woman, darling!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jacobson/attitude-makes-the-woman-darling/)

[Eric Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jacobson/)

> [“Makeup often makes a woman look like another woman; and/or like she is another woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/makeup-often-makes-a-woman-look-like-another-woman-and-or-like-she-is/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“You ask me what makes a woman comely?" He tapped one finger lightly against her temple and said, "Thoughts, missus. It's thoughts that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-kent/you-ask-me-what-makes-a-woman-comely-he-tapped-one-finger-lightly/)

[Kathleen Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-kent/)

> [A simple dose of Hey, Im thinking of you makes your woman smile and keeps that momentum going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-simple-dose-of-hey-im-thinking-of-you-makes-your-woman-smile-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [But don't try to find an untroublesome woman. She will dull out on you. What makes a woman good in bed makes it impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/but-don-t-try-to-find-an-untroublesome-woman-she-will-dull-out-on-you/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [It is God who makes woman beautiful, it is the devil who makes her pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/it-is-god-who-makes-woman-beautiful-it-is-the-devil-who-makes-her/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

> [For every dollar that a man makes, a woman makes 70 cents. That doesn't make sense. That's not fair, the man's only left with 30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo/for-every-dollar-that-a-man-makes-a-woman-makes-70-cents-that-doesn-t/)

Bo

> [Some people think having large breasts makes a woman stupid. Actually, it's quite the opposite: a woman having large breasts makes men stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/some-people-think-having-large-breasts-makes-a-woman-stupid-actually/)

[Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/)

> [Nothings makes a woman look older that a rich costume.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/nothings-makes-a-woman-look-older-that-a-rich-costume/)

[Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/)

> [When a man makes a woman his wife it's the highest compliment he can pay her – and usually it's the last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/when-a-man-makes-a-woman-his-wife-it-s-the-highest-compliment-he-can/)

[Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/)

> [Glamour is what makes a man ask for your telephone number. But it also is what makes a woman ask for the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilly-dache/glamour-is-what-makes-a-man-ask-for-your-telephone-number-but-it-also/)

Lilly Dache

> [The worst of marriage is that it makes a woman believe that all men are just as easy to fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-worst-of-marriage-is-that-it-makes-a-woman-believe-that-all-men/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [I love a man who makes his woman the center of the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-moore/i-love-a-man-who-makes-his-woman-the-center-of-the-universe/)

[Kenya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-moore/)

## More by Tessa Dare

> [“This explains so much," she said, clucking her tongue in mother-hen fashion. "You're compensating for this withered appendage." Withered appendage? What the devil was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/this-explains-so-much-she-said-clucking-her-tongue-in-mother-hen/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“You think a few features scattered on your face make you plain? I am ugly to the core. All England knows it. And after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/you-think-a-few-features-scattered-on-your-face-make-you-plain-i-am/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“I’d be more than happy to let you survey my physical perfection in its entirety. But only if I get to see you, too.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/i-d-be-more-than-happy-to-let-you-survey-my-physical-perfection-in/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“Words for everyday showers of prettiness, and the kind of misty loveliness that disappears whenever you try to grasp it. Beauty that’s heralded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/words-for-everyday-showers-of-prettiness-and-the-kind-of-misty/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“ The captain? Sophia stood staring numbly after him. Had he just said he’d introduce her to the captain? Of someone else was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/the-captain-sophia-stood-staring-numbly-after-him-had-he-just-said-he/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“Madeline stood before him in a gown of rich, emerald-green silk. The low-cut bodice did miraculous things for her bosom, and the vibrant color…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/madeline-stood-before-him-in-a-gown-of-rich-emerald-green-silk-the/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“And she was well-enough acquainted with loneliness to understand that the worst part wasn't having nobody caring for you - it was having nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/and-she-was-well-enough-acquainted-with-loneliness-to-understand-that/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“He stood in the doorway to a side chamber, bared to the waist and dripping. He propped one shoulder against the doorway and clutched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/he-stood-in-the-doorway-to-a-side-chamber-bared-to-the-waist-and/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“And you claim to be feeling this way. Floatish. Singsong-ish. About me.” She sighed. “Yes.” “That’s absurd.” “I know, but I can’t seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/and-you-claim-to-be-feeling-this-way-floatish-singsong-ish-about-me/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“No, of course she didn't say it. But there is no other reason she should have called, except to pave the way for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/no-of-course-she-didn-t-say-it-but-there-is-no-other-reason-she/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“And there it was. The prim face of censure he’d been seeking. A strange sense of satisfaction descended on him. Divine justice, perhaps. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/and-there-it-was-the-prim-face-of-censure-he-d-been-seeking-a-strange/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“Another sketch-this one of Gabriel-hung on the all above the water cask. It swiveled gently on a single tack; or rather, the paper hung…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/another-sketch-this-one-of-gabriel-hung-on-the-all-above-the-water/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“I know what you’re thinking, Gray,” O’Shea’s brogue lilted down through the skylight one warm morning, while Sophia was hard at work. Mr. Grayson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-gray-o-shea-s-brogue-lilted-down-through/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“The path was a familiar one. Over the years she’d resided in Spindle Cove, Susanna must have walked it thousands of times. She knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/the-path-was-a-familiar-one-over-the-years-she-d-resided-in-spindle/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

> [“Miss Finch, it’s not wise for officers to quarter in the same house with an unmarried gentlewoman. Have a care for your reputation, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/miss-finch-it-s-not-wise-for-officers-to-quarter-in-the-same-house/)

[Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

[Explore all 472 Tessa Dare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/)

## More Application quotes

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/)

[Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/)

> [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/)

[John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/)

> [I've been in real estate for a long time and I always try to stay on the edge. I'm really excited about the partnership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-hammer/i-ve-been-in-real-estate-for-a-long-time-and-i-always-try-to-stay-on/)

[MC Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-hammer/)

> [If we blow ourselves up we will do it by misapplication of science; if we manage to keep from blowing ourselves up, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-we-blow-ourselves-up-we-will-do-it-by-misapplication-of-science-if/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [“...why don't you take a picture of yourself next to a fucking job application? How about that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-wolf/why-don-t-you-take-a-picture-of-yourself-next-to-a-fucking-job/)

Josh Wolf

> [Everything for us is a system. We don't think about it discretely as just as a piece of hardware, or discretely as an application...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosain-rahman/everything-for-us-is-a-system-we-don-t-think-about-it-discretely-as/)

[Hosain Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hosain-rahman/)

> [To each eye, perhaps, the outlines of a great civilization present a different picture. In the wide ocean upon which we venture, the possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/to-each-eye-perhaps-the-outlines-of-a-great-civilization-present-a/)

[Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/)

> [Without application of the mind; there is no drive for taking affirmative action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mercado/without-application-of-the-mind-there-is-no-drive-for-taking/)

[Joseph Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mercado/)

> [“Having no applicable skills, in any possible area whatsoever, effectively makes me the master of redundancy. But that info is obsolete, like my insults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-advise/having-no-applicable-skills-in-any-possible-area-whatsoever/)

Will Advise

> [At every juncture, advanced tools have been the key to a new wave of applications, and each wave of applications has been key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/at-every-juncture-advanced-tools-have-been-the-key-to-a-new-wave-of/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [The effect of the discovery of printing was evident in the savage religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Application of power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-innis/the-effect-of-the-discovery-of-printing-was-evident-in-the-savage/)

[Harold Innis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-innis/)

> [As science is more and more subject to grave misuse as well as to use for human benefit it has also become the scientist's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-science-is-more-and-more-subject-to-grave-misuse-as-well-as-to-use/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you ask ... the man in the street ... the human significance of mathematics, the answer of the world will be, that mathematics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassius-jackson-keyser/if-you-ask-the-man-in-the-street-the-human-significance-of/)

[Cassius Jackson Keyser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassius-jackson-keyser/)

> [Technology, and applications of this technology, will continue to improve and evolve, providing unprecedented, global access to information, individuals, training, and opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-webb/technology-and-applications-of-this-technology-will-continue-to/)

[Maynard Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-webb/)

Browse all 918 Application quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Cleverness is like rouge - liberal application makes a woman look common and desperate. Wit is knowing how to apply it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tessa Dare"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-application-makes-a-woman-look/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Application"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-application-makes-a-woman-look/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/tessa-dare-564_application_cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-applica_820408.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/tessa-dare-564_application_cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-applica_820408.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f05/tessa-dare-564_application_cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-applica_820408.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Cleverness is like rouge - liberal application makes a woman look common and desperate. Wit is knowing how…” — Tessa Dare",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Tessa Dare",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Cleverness is like rouge - liberal...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-application-makes-a-woman-look/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/cleverness-is-like-rouge-liberal-application-makes-a-woman-look/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
