Bright as a button

Origin of: Bright as a button

Bright as a button

This is a 19th century expression with most probably a military origin in that military uniforms in those days were adorned with shiny, brass buttons. The expression is frequently used to describe children who are quick and clever. The US equivalent is “cute as a button” where cute is an aphesis of acute, meaning bright, sharp or clever and which dates from around the same time. See Cute.