Witticism
A clever, often spontaneous remark that delivers humour through verbal ingenuity.
A witticism is a clever remark made for the pleasure of its wit. It is usually short, often spoken rather than written, and frequently turns on a pun, a reversal, or an unexpected register shift. Witticisms can be biting or affectionate, but they always show off the speaker's command of language.
The genre is closely associated with literary salons, court jesters, parliamentary debate, and modern stand-up. Winston Churchill, Dorothy Parker, Groucho Marx, and Noël Coward are the standard reference points in English.
Because witticisms travel by word of mouth before they reach print, they are the single largest source of misattribution in the quotation industry. A line attributed to Churchill or Twain is more likely to be a witticism by someone else.
“I can resist everything except temptation.”
Keep reading the glossary
A neatly turned witty remark — literally a 'good word' in French.
A short, witty, often satirical statement built on a clever turn.
Assigning a quote to the wrong person — the most common error in quotation.
A short, sharp statement that compresses a truth or observation into a single line.