This does come up in conversation; I was talking to a co-worker who is obviously gifted and we were discussing his daughter. He has no issues calling her super-smart or gifted, but when I said something about his being really smart, even just that phrase he shied away from.
I know it won't matter much in the grand scheme of things but for my own purposes I have tried to just come right out and tell people I am smart, where it is warranted. For purposes of job interviews, for instance, it seems to have a charming rather than chilling effect. Maybe it is the way I say it, who knows? But people want to hire that, anyway.
