  We address the relationship between spectral type and physical properties for
A-type supergiants in the SMC. We first construct a self-consistent
classification scheme for A supergiants, employing the calcium K to H epsilon
line ratio as a temperature-sequence discriminant. Following the precepts of
the `MK process', the same morphological criteria are applied to Galactic and
SMC spectra with the understanding there may not be a correspondence in
physical properties between spectral counterparts in different environments. We
then discuss the temperature scale, concluding that A supergiants in the SMC
are systematically cooler than their Galactic counterparts at the same spectral
type, by up to ~10%. Considering the relative line strengths of H gamma and the
CH G-band we extend our study to F and early G-type supergiants, for which
similar effects are found. We note the implications for analyses of
extragalactic luminous supergiants, for the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity
relationship and for population synthesis studies in unresolved stellar
systems.
