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Wit is a form of intelligent humour—the ability to say or write things that are clever and typically funny.^[1] Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks.^[1]^[2] Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack.

Forms

As in the wit of Dorothy Parker's set, the Algonquin Round Table, witty remarks may be intentionally cruel (as also in many epigrams), and perhaps more ingenious than funny.

A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of a point. A witticism also suggests the diminutive.

Repartee is the wit of the quick answer and capping comment: the snappy comeback and neat retort.

Metaphysical poetry as a style was prevalent in the time of English playwright William Shakespeare, who admonished pretension with the phrase "Better a witty fool than a foolish wit".^[3] It may combine word play with conceptual thinking, as a kind of verbal display requiring attention, without intending to be laugh-out-loud funny. Indeed wit in verse can be a thin disguise for more poignant feelings. English poet John Donne is the representative of this style.^[4]

Other uses

More generally, one's wits are one's intellectual powers of all types. Native wit—meaning the wits with which one is born—is closely synonymous with common sense. To live by one's wits is to be an opportunist, but not always of the scrupulous kind. To have one's wits about one is to be alert and capable of quick reasoning. To be at the end of one's wits ("I'm at wits' end") is to be immensely frustrated.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b "wit". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
^ "wit". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
^ Salingar, Leo (1976). Shakespeare and the Traditions of Comedy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 245–246. ISBN 978-0-521-29113-2.
^ Daley, Koos (1990). The Triple Fool: A Critical Evaluation of Constantijn Huygens' Translations of John Donne. De Graaf. p. 58. ISBN 978-90-6004-405-6.

Bibliography

Jefferson, D. W. (1951). "Tristram Shandy and the Tradition of Learned Wit". Essays in Criticism. Vol. 1. pp. 225–49.

[Merriam-Webster-1] "wit". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2012-05-27.

[2] "wit". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2015.

[Salingar1976-3] Salingar, Leo (1976). Shakespeare and the Traditions of Comedy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 245–246. ISBN 978-0-521-29113-2.

[Daley1990-4] Daley, Koos (1990). The Triple Fool: A Critical Evaluation of Constantijn Huygens' Translations of John Donne. De Graaf. p. 58. ISBN 978-90-6004-405-6.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|Form of humour}}
+{{Short description|Form of humour}}
 {{About|the form of humor|other uses|Wit (disambiguation)}}
+{{Redirect|Wisecrack|other uses|Wisecrack (disambiguation)}}
-[[File:'The feast of reason, and the flow of soul,' - ie - the wits of the age, setting the table in a roar by James Gillray.jpg|thumb|'The feast of reason, and the flow of soul,' - i.e. - the wits of the age, setting the table in a roar, by [[James Gillray]] (1797)]]
+{{Wiktionary|wit}}
+[[File:'The feast of reason, and the flow of soul,' - ie - the wits of the age, setting the table in a roar by James Gillray.jpg|thumb|{{center|"The feast of reason..."{{br}} — [[James Gillray]] (1797)}}]]
-'''Wit''' is a form of intelligent [[humour]], the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. <ref name="Merriam-Webster">{{cite web| url=http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/wit|title=Wit|publisher=Merriam-Webster|accessdate=2012-05-27}}</ref> Someone '''witty''' is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks.<ref name="Merriam-Webster"/><ref>{{cite web|title=wit|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/wit|website=Oxford Dictionaries|accessdate=29 May 2015}}</ref> Forms of wit include the '''quip''', '''repartee''', and '''wisecrack'''.
+'''Wit''' is a form of intelligent [[humour]]—the ability to say or write things that are clever and typically funny.<ref name="Merriam-Webster">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/wit|title=wit|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=2012-05-27}}</ref> Someone '''witty''' is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks.<ref name="Merriam-Webster"/><ref>{{cite web|title=wit|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/wit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719033005/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/wit|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 19, 2012|website=Oxford Dictionaries|access-date=29 May 2015}}</ref> Forms of wit include the '''quip''', '''repartee''', and '''wisecrack'''.
 ==Forms==
-As in the wit of [[Dorothy Parker]]'s set, the [[Algonquin Round Table]], witty remarks may be intentionally cruel (as in many [[epigram]]s), and perhaps more [[genius|ingenious]] than funny.
+As in the wit of [[Dorothy Parker]]'s set, the [[Algonquin Round Table]], witty remarks may be intentionally cruel (as also in many ''[[epigram]]s''), and perhaps more [[Genius|ingenious]] than funny.
-A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into [[sarcasm]], or otherwise is short of a point, and a witticism also suggests the diminutive.
+A ''quip'' is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into [[sarcasm]], or otherwise is short of a point. A ''witticism'' also suggests the diminutive.
-Repartee is the wit of the quick answer and capping comment: the snappy comeback and neat retort. ([[Oscar Wilde|Wilde]]: "I wish I'd said that." [[James Abbott McNeill Whistler|Whistler]]: "You will, Oscar, you will".)<ref>Monty Python: Oscar Wilde sketch</ref>
+''Repartee'' is the wit of the quick answer and capping comment: the snappy comeback and neat retort.
+[[Metaphysical poetry]] as a style was prevalent in the time of English playwright [[William Shakespeare]], who admonished pretension with the phrase "Better a witty fool than a foolish wit".<ref name="Salingar1976">{{cite book|last=Salingar |first=Leo |title=Shakespeare and the Traditions of Comedy |url=https://archive.org/details/shakespearetradi0000sali |url-access=registration|year=1976 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-29113-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/shakespearetradi0000sali/page/245/mode/1up 245]–246}}</ref> It may combine [[word play]] with conceptual thinking, as a kind of verbal display requiring attention, without intending to be laugh-out-loud funny. Indeed wit in verse can be a thin disguise for more poignant feelings. English poet [[John Donne]] is the representative of this style.<ref name="Daley1990">{{cite book|last=Daley |first=Koos |title=The Triple Fool: A Critical Evaluation of Constantijn Huygens' Translations of John Donne |year=1990 |publisher=De Graaf |isbn=978-90-6004-405-6 |page=58}}</ref>
-==In poetry==
-Wit in [[poetry]] is characteristic of [[metaphysical poetry]] as a style, and was prevalent in the time of English playwright [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], who admonished pretension with the phrase "Better a witty fool than a foolish wit".<ref name="Salingar1976">{{cite book
-|last=Salingar
-|first=Leo
-|title=Shakespeare and the Traditions of Comedy
-|url=https://archive.org/details/shakespearetradi0000sali/page/245
-|year=1976
-|publisher=Cambridge University Press
-|isbn=978-0-521-29113-2
-|pages=[https://archive.org/details/shakespearetradi0000sali/page/245 245–6]
-}}</ref> It may combine [[word play]] with conceptual thinking, as a kind of verbal display requiring attention, without intending to be laugh-aloud funny; in fact wit can be a thin disguise for more poignant feelings that are being versified. English poet [[John Donne]] is the representative of this style of poetry.<ref name="Daley1990">{{cite book
-|last=Daley
-|first=Koos
-|title=The triple fool: a critical evaluation of Constantijn Huygens' translations of John Donne
-|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3bRaAAAAMAAJ
-|accessdate=6 October 2010
-|year=1990
-|publisher=De Graaf
-|isbn=978-90-6004-405-6
-|page=58}}</ref>
-==Further meanings==
+==Other uses==
-More generally, one's wits are one's intellectual powers of all types. Native wit &mdash; meaning the wits with which one is born &mdash; is closely synonymous with [[common sense]]. To live by one's wits is to be an [[Opportunism|opportunist]], but not always of the scrupulous kind. To have one's wits about one is to be alert and capable of quick [[reasoning]], perhaps because the 5 senses used to be called the [[Five wits|5 outward wits]] and common sense and estimation/intuition were called inward wits. To be at the end of one's wits ("I'm at my wits' end") is to be immensely [[Frustration|frustrated]].
+More generally, one's ''wits'' are one's intellectual powers of all types. ''Native wit''—meaning the wits with which one is born—is closely synonymous with [[common sense]]. To ''live by one's wits'' is to be an [[Opportunism|opportunist]], but not always of the scrupulous kind. ''To have one's wits about one'' is to be alert and capable of quick [[reason]]ing. To be at the end of one's wits (''"I'm at wits' end"'') is to be immensely [[Frustration|frustrate]]d.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022|reason=A lot of claims without any source.}}
+{{Wiktionary|native wit}}
+{{Wikiquote|wit}}
 ==See also==
+<!--Maintain alphabetical order, please.-->
-{{Portal|Comedy}}
+*[[Hartford Wits]]
-<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
+*[[New Oxford Wits]]
-{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
-* [[Hartford Wits]]
+*[[Oxford Wits]]
-* [[New Oxford Wits]]
+*[[Wit (film)|''Wit'' (film)]]
+*[[Wit (play)|''Wit'' (play)]]
-* [[Oxford Wits]]
-*[[Wit (play)]]
-**[[Wit (film)]]
-{{div col end}}
-<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-===Bibliography===
-* D. W. Jefferson, "''Tristram Shandy'' and the Tradition of Learned Wit" in ''Essays in Criticism'', 1(1951), 225-49
+===Bibliography===
-{{wikiquote|Wit}}
+* {{cite book|first=D. W.|last=Jefferson|chapter=''Tristram Shandy'' and the Tradition of Learned Wit|title=Essays in Criticism|volume=1|year=1951|pages=225–49}}
-{{Wiktionary|wit}}
-{{Wiktionary|native wit}}
 {{Comedy footer}}
+{{Virtues}}
 {{Authority control}}
@@ Line 64: / Line 44: @@
 [[Category:Virtue]]
 [[Category:Word play]]
+[[Category:Algonquin Round Table]]