Думаете, вы самый умный?

14:06 May 3, 2015 

I stand corrected. Thank you for the explanation.

14:03 May 3, 2015 

I think you're imagining a danger that isn't there. Obviously one must always be sensitive to nuances - either of the situation being described and the original words, or of the English words you select to convey them. But this case, in order for an English-speaking viewer to misconstrue "wise guy" in the way you suggest, "wise guy" would have to be a term that frequently, regularly, in every-day situations, connoted criminality. It does not. The use of "wise guy" in a specialized, mafia situation (as a synonym of "made man") is a secondary or tertiary meaning. The main use of "wise guy" is in everyday, non-criminal slang, meaning smart aleck, smartypants, wise-ass, etc. It's not like proposing that the activist say, "You think you're some kind of a kingpin?" or "capo dei tutti capi", "You think you're the Godfather?", etc. I don't think that normal native English-speakers, even those affected by preconceptions about Russia, would think that calling this driver a "wise guy" had anything to do with organized crime.

11:41 May 3, 2015 

> "Wise guy" is very common thing to call just about anybody who's acting out of line (and thinks they're going to get away with it)-from a little kid stealing cookies, to a rogue driver. "Hey, wise guy, whaddya think you're doing?"

I mentioned the risk of using the expression “wise guy” because I thought that it might add an unwanted connotation. I strongly suspect that Russia is a kind of terra incognita for many Americans, who might misinterpret many things.
https://www.google.ru/search?q="a wiseguy"&btnG=Search&clien...
Some fifteen years ago I read a true crime book titled “Wiseguy,” written by Nicholas Pileggi. The book was extremely boring to my taste, yet I still remember its title.

P.S. Here’s a link to an article containing tons of real or artificial foreign stereotypes about Russia:
http://lurkmore.to/Клюква
Please beware of offensive content!

12:47 May 2, 2015 

I guess he posted his answer a few hours after I started this Discussion.

12:40 May 2, 2015 

MacroJanus obviously did (see his answer)!

05:21 May 2, 2015 

Did anyone bother to listen to the whole phrase before starting to translate its left part? :)