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Initially I would think that you could look this up, but there are different connotations depending on how "smart alec(k)" is intended. In the case of a "know-it-all" or "smartypants" being more about attitude, which best fits in your example, you'd probably use something like Besserwisser, Schlauberger, Schlaumeier, Schlaukopf, Klugscheisser, usw. In the ...

Note that from Duden the vulgarity level for the noun "die Scheiße", is not the same as for the noun "der Scheiß" and the adjective "scheiße": Scheiße f.: derb abwertend Scheiß m., scheiße: salopp abwertend All other dictionaries agree in classifying all of these expressions as vulgar. This is especially true for its literal meaning of faeces. ...

some translations of "smart alec" most common: Klugscheißer (verbatim: smart-shitter) A person who produces smart things as easily as other people produce shit or crap. very common: Besserwisser (verbatim: better-knower) A person who knows everything better Schlaumeier (verbatim: smart-manciple) "Meier" is a very common last name in ...

While the general trend is that "Scheiße" is not too bad, there are some offensive uses, e.g. addressing a person as "Stück Scheiße" or "Scheißkerl", or seriously criticizing the actions of a person: "Das war jetzt wirklich Scheiße von dir!". Of course this depends very much on the context. If someone was quite foolish and you say with a smile "Du redest ...

The "normalization" of this and many other words is only gauged by its "common" use, not a grammatical change. Just because people say it, and perhaps even often in some circles, does not qualify necessarily as being "normal" in the sense you mean. It may get into the dictionary because of its frequency of use, but it is still listed as vulgar and ...

(This is just my personal theory so I might be horribly wrong.) Language is changing constantly so you can find examples for words that lose their meaning in any field. Maybe depreciative descriptions are especially vivid, because a lot of those terms are invented by adolescent people. I can imagine that a 16-year-old is not really willing to use the same ...

It is about in which social environment you are. If you meet people doing craftsmanship they talk as usual offensive and "Scheiße" is part of their speech. "Scheiße" is offensive, regarding a person it is super-offensive. People of higher social class use it very careful (more "droken" language excluding most offensive words, which puts more weight to ...