"Bright as a Whip" - I know that this refers to someone who is very intelligent and sharp,?

Question:but where did this saying come from? Is whip really short for some other word?

Answers:
I always heard "sharp as a whip" and thought it referred to the sharp sound of a cracking whip.

I think that it is "smart as a whip"

whip inflicts pain , which "smarts" (hurts)