Look up Wit in Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Wit is a form of intellectual humor, based on manipulation of concepts; a wit is someone who excels in witty remarks, typically in conversation and spontaneously, since wit carries the connotation of speed of thought. Wit often suffers on being relayed (you had to be there). Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary logo Wiktionary is a sister project to Wikipedia intended to be a free wiki dictionary (including thesaurus and lexicon) in every language. ... Humour (Commonwealth English) or humor (American English) is the ability or quality of people, objects or situations to evoke feelings of amusement in other people. ... A concept is an abstract, universal idea, notion, or entity that serves to designate a category or class of entities, events, or relations. ... In logic and in some branches of semantics, connotation is more or less synonymous with intension. ...

Famous wits

Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker have the status of archetypal 19th and 20th century wits — to the extent of having the remarks of others attributed to them. Ksawery Tartakower is usually described as chess grandmaster and wit. Oliver St John Gogarty was a renowned Dublin wit and surgeon. Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. ... Dorothy Parker (also known as Dot or Dottie) was born Dorothy Rothschild in the West End district of Long Branch, New Jersey, on August 22, 1893. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Ksawery Tartakower (generally known as Saviely or Savielly in English, from Polish Sawielly meaning little Saul, less often Xavier Tartacover or Xavier Tartakover; 1887–1956) was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. ... The title International Grandmaster is awarded to superb chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. It is a lifetime title, in chess literature usually abbreviated as GM or IGM (this is in contrast to WGM for Woman Grandmaster and IM for International Master). ... Oliver St John Gogarty (August 17, 1878-September 22, 1957) was an Irish physician and surgeon, who was also a poet and writer, one of the most prominent Dublin wits, and for some time a political figure of the Irish Free State. ... Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located near the midpoint of Irelands east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. ... Surgeon may refer to: a practitioner of surgery the moniker of British electronic music producer and DJ, Anthony Child; see Surgeon (musician) This is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

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 group of some of the most brilliant writers of the 1920s and 1930s, though it endured long after that. ... An epigram is a short poem 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. Repartee is the wit of the quick answer and capping comment: the snappy comeback and neat retort. Sarcasm is sneering, jesting, or mocking a person, situation or thing. ...

Wit defined

In his monumental 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. In Webster's Dictionary, wit is subtly defined as "the association of ideas in a manner natural, but unusual and striking, so as to produce surprise joined with pleasure". ... Samuel Johnson circa 1772, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. ... 1888 advertisement for Websters Dictionary Websters Dictionary is a common title given to English language dictionaries in the United States, deriving its name from American lexicographer Noah Webster. ...

The American television series The Simpsons defined wit, in a February 4, 1996 episode as "nothing more than an incisive observation, humorously phrased and delivered with impeccable timing." An animated television series or cartoon television series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... Homer, a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, is a generally well-meaning buffoon whose short attention span often draws him into outrageous schemes and adventures. ... February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Wit in poetry

Wit in poetry is characteristic of metaphysical poetry as a style, and was prevalent in the time of Shakespeare. 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. John Donne is the representative of this style of poetry. Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is traditionally a written art form (although there is also an ancient and modern poetry which relies mainly upon oral or pictorial representations) in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... 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. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Word play is a literary technique in which the nature of the words used themselves become part of the subject of the work. ... John Donne John Donne (pronounced Dun; 1572 – March 31, 1631) was a Jacobean metaphysical poet. ...

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. To live by one's wits is to be an opportunist, not always of the scrupulous kind. To have one's wits about one is to be alert and capable of quick reasoning. Look up Common sense in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the American independence advocacy pamphlet by Thomas Paine, see Common Sense (pamphlet) For the American hip-hop artist, see Common One meaning of the term common sense (or as an adjective, commonsense) on a strict construction of the term, is... Opportunism is a term mainly used in politics and political science. ... Reasoning is the act of using reason to derive a conclusion from certain premises. ...

Trivia

In Robin Hobb's books, the wit is a magic that allows someone to communicate and bond with certain wild animals. Robin Hobb, Finncon 2004 Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born 1952 in California) is an author of fantasy fiction. ... The ancient symbol of the pentagram is often used as a symbol for magic. ...