Wit is a form of intellectual humour. Humour or humor (see spelling differences) is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke Laughter and provide Amusement A wit (person) is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include: the quip and the repartee.

Forms of wit

As in the wit of Parker's set, the Algonquin Round Table, witty remarks may be intentionally cruel (as in many epigrams), and perhaps more ingenious than funny. The Algonquin Round Table was a celebrated group of New York City writers critics actors and wits An epigram is a short Poem, often with a clever twist at the end or a concise and witty statement

A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of point; a witticism also suggests the diminutive. Sarcasm is stating the opposite of an intended meaning especially in order to sneeringly slyly jest or mock a person situation or thing Repartee is the wit of the quick answer and capping comment: the snappy comeback and neat retort. (Wilde: "I wish I'd said that. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900 was an Irish Playwright, Novelist, poet and Author of " Whistler: "You will, Oscar, you will". )

In French one can distinguish between the bon mot, a witty remark actually produced, and the esprit d'escalier, the thing one should have said that typically comes to mind too late to be of any use.

Wit defined

In his dictionary, Samuel Johnson states that the original meaning of wit is "the powers of the mind; the mental faculties; the intellects"; he also defines wit as "quickness of fancy", among the nine definitions. A dictionary is a book of alphabetically listed Words in a specific language with definitions etymologies pronunciations and other information or a book of alphabetically Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September In Webster's Dictionary, wit is defined as "the association of ideas in a manner natural, but unusual and striking, so as to produce surprise joined with pleasure". Webster's Dictionary is the name given to a common type of English language dictionary in the United States.

An episode of television series The Simpsons defined wit, in Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield as "nothing more than an incisive observation, humorously phrased and delivered with impeccable timing. An animated cartoon is a short hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn Film for the cinema, Television or computer " Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield " is the 14th episode of The Simpsons ' seventh season, and is the first Simpsons "

Shakespeare's Polonius said, "Brevity is the soul of wit. William Shakespeare ( baptised Polonius is a character from William Shakespeare 's Hamlet. The character is best known for uttering the immortal words "To thine own self be true" "

Another possible definition of wit, or humor, loosely attributable to Freud, is "anger, turned sideways". Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded

Wit can also mean intelligence, sharpness and cleverness. A witty person is likely to be intelligent.

Wit in poetry

Wit in poetry is characteristic of metaphysical poetry as a style, and was prevalent in the time of English playwright Shakespeare, who admonished pretension with the phrase "Better a witty fool than a foolish wit". The metaphysical poets were a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century who shared an interest in metaphysical concerns and a common way of investigating them William Shakespeare ( baptised 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. Word play is a Literary technique in which the nature of the words that are used become the main subject of the work English poet John Donne is the representative of this style of poetry. John Donne (pronounced like done, dʌn 1572 – 31 March 1631 was a Jacobean poet preacher and a major representative of the Metaphysical poets

Further meanings

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. Common sense (or when used attributively as an Adjective, commonsense, common-sense, or commonsensical) based on a strict construction To live by one's wits is to be an opportunist, not always of the scrupulous kind. Opportunism is a term used in Politics and Political science. To have one's wits about one is to be alert and capable of quick reasoning. Reasoning is the cognitive process of looking for Reasons for beliefs conclusions actions or feelings

Famous wits

John Wilkes was famous in the 18th Century for his wit in response to insults. John Wilkes ( 17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde, Dorothy Parker and Groucho Marx are considered archetypal 19th and 20th century wits — sometimes even having the remarks of others attributed to them. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900 was an Irish Playwright, Novelist, poet and Author of Dorothy Parker (August 22 1893&ndashJune 7 1967 was an American writer and poet best known for her caustic Wit, wisecracks and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Also of the twentieth century was British prime minister Winston Churchill, with perhaps the most well documented witticisms of his time. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Oliver St. John Gogarty was a renowned Dublin wit and surgeon, while John Philpot Curran was an Irish lawyer who would disrupt court hearings with his witticisms. Oliver Joseph St John Gogarty ( August 17, 1878 - September 22, 1957) was an Irish Physician and ear surgeon Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. In Medicine, a surgeon is a person who performs Surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive Medical treatment that involves the cutting of a John Philpot Curran ( July 24, 1750 - October 14, 1817) was an Irish Orator and wit born in Newmarket, Ksawery Tartakower is usually described as chess grandmaster and wit. Ksawery Tartakower (Russian Савелий Григорьевич Тартаковер generally known as Saviely or Savielly Tartakower in English less often The title Grandmaster is awarded to extremely strong Chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE. John Lennon of famous pop group The Beatles was notorious for his sharp and cutting wit, often being labeled "the witty Beatle". John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 The late David Lange, the Prime Minister of New Zealand in the 1980s, immortalized with his nuclear-free legislation, is another well-known historical figure who is remembered for his quick wit. David Russell Lange, ONZ, CH (who pronounced his name ˈlɒŋi long-ee) (4 August 1942 – 13 August 2005 served as Prime Minister of New Zealand

See also

• Oxford Wits
• New Oxford Wits
• Hartford Wits

Bibliography

• D. The Oxford Wits, a term coined later were an identifiable group of literary and intellectual aesthetes and dandies present as undergraduates at the University of Oxford The term New Oxford Wits was applied around 1980 to a group of young English writers who had been at the University of Oxford in the 1970s The Hartford Wits (also called the Connecticut Wits) were a group of American writers centered around Yale University and flourished in the 1780s and 1790s W. Jefferson, "Tristram Shandy and the Tradition of Learned Wit" in Essays in Criticism, 1(1951), 225-48