N.Y. Mercury 2 Mar. in Ware (1909) 266/1: It is an Americanism. We cannot tell who invented it, but it means that a man is in possession of uncommon powers of mind. That he is a whole team when he is smart; when he is very smart he is a whole team and a horse to spare, and when the smartest, a whole team and a horse to spare and a pair of coach dogs under the waggon.at whole team (and a/the dog under the wagon) under team, n.