smarmy

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You may swim this summer, but is the past tense "swum" or
"swam?" Check out our Concise Dictionary of English Usage.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?conusg.htm&6
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The Word of the Day for July 20 is:

smarmy   \SMAR-mee\   adjective
   *1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness 
     2 : of low sleazy taste or quality 

Example sentence:
     "I was so disappointed to hear you didn't get that promotion," said Kit, 
using a smarmy tone of voice that made me fume.

Did you know? 
     Something "smarmy" will often ooze with self-satisfaction and insincerity. 
Much like its synonyms "unctuous" and "slick," "smarmy" has a history that 
starts with a meaning of literal slipperiness or oiliness. The verb "smarm" 
appeared in English in the mid-19th century. Etymologists don't know where it 
came from, but they do know that it meant "to smear," "to gush," or sometimes 
"to make smooth or oily." A few decades later, use of "smarm" was extended to 
sometimes mean "to use flattery." The adjective "smarmy" appeared in the early 
20th century. At first meaning "insincerely flattering" or "smug," it later 
took on an additional meaning: "sleazy."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.