Green’s Dictionary of Slang

of features, neat, well-formed; of dress, neat, spruce.

1569–70		T. Preston Cambyses B3: Gogs hart slaue dost thinke I am a sixpeny Jug: No wis ye Jack I looke a little more smug.
1577		Misogonus in Farmer (1906) II ii: By the mass! I know her, she is a good smugly lass.
1599		G. Peele Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes in Dyce (1861) 516: There’s neighbour Nichol’s daughter, a jolly smug whore with vat cheeks.
1611		Davies of Hereford Scourge of Folly 67: Young girles (he saith) his old-cold flesh doth cheere And maks the same to looke most smooth, and smugge.
1616		W. Haughton English-Men For My Money I 2: She is a sweete smugge Girle.
1631		J. Shirley School of Complement III ii: ’Tis a pretty smug Wench.
1639		R. Davenport New Tricke to Cheat the Divell III i: A smug Lasse, And one that knowes it too.
1675		F. Fane Love in the Dark IV i: Why, Husband; pretty smug-fac’d Husband, did not I know thee?
1694		J. Eachard (trans.) Plautus’s Rudens II vi: What luck’s here? – ’S bobs, as I hope to breath, a smug-fac’d Rogue!
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Smug [...] neat and spruce.
1700		‘The Tunbridge Doctors’ in Playford Pills to Purge Melancholy II 161: For they’ve a new Drug / Which is call’d The close Hug, / Which will mend your Complexion, / And make you look smug.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1805		J. Reynolds Blind Bargain I i: Hav’n’t you been lately coquetting with a certain smug alderman?
1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1882		Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 8: Smug - Sleek, in fashion.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 76: Smug, neatness.