witticism

Etymology

witty + -icism; coined in the 1670s by John Dryden, by analogy to criticism.

noun

  1. a witty remark
    Shock of the witticism is a powerful one; while mere fun will have no power over them if it jar on their moral taste. 1883, George Eliot, chapter 4, in The Essays of George Eliot
    While the occasional wry witticism seeps through, overall Shipler is painfully conscientious about trying to offer both sides of any debate. 2015, Hans Rollman, “Freedom of Speech: It’s Complicated”, in PopMatters

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