waggish
adjective

- humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner

- using or expressing humour in a clever way

Oxford Languages / Cambridge Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "wag" is derived from the Middle English word waggen, which means to move or shake quickly and lightly. It can be traced back even further to the Old English word wagian, which also means to shake or move. The term has been in use since the 13th century and has evolved over time to refer to the act of moving something (usually a tail) back and forth in a playful or happy manner.

The noun "wag" has a different origin than the verb "wag”. As a noun, "wag" is an informal term used to describe a person who is known for their humorous or mischievous behavior. This usage dates back to the 16th century.

The adjective "waggish" denotes someone (or something) having the playful and humorous qualities of a wag.

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WAGGISH QUOTES

- When asked by a flight attendant to fasten his seat belt, Muhammad Ali replied, "Superman don't need no seat belt." The flight attendant responded, "Superman don't need no airplane either."

- "I grew up with six brothers. That's how I learned to tap dance —waiting for the bathroom." (Bob Hope)

- When Abraham Lincoln was called "two-faced" during a debate, he responded, "If I had two faces, would I be wearing this one?"

- "I intend to live forever. So far, so good." (Steven Wright)

- At Voltaire’s deathbed, a priest asked him to renounce Satan, he reportedly replied, "Now, now, my good man, this is no time for making enemies."

- "The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." (Lily Tomlin)

- "If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito." (Anita Roddick)

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SYNONYMS

- witty, jocular, like a wag

a barrel of laughs, a gas, a hoot, a joke, a laugh (a minute), a scream, amusing, as happy as a clam (a sandboy, as Larry), as pleased as Punch, bantering, blithe, blithesome, burlesque, cheeky, cheery, chucklesome, clowning, clownish, comical, comedic, comic, crack-up, droll, facetious, farcical, for a laugh, frolic, frolicking, frolicky, frolicsome, fun, fun-filled, fun-loving, funny, funny ha-ha, gas, gleeful, goofy, har-har, ha-ha funny, hilarious, humoristic, humorous, hysterical, hysterically funny, in fun (good spirits, jest), jocose, jocular, jocund, joculous, jolly, joking, joshing, jovial, kittenish, knee-slapper, knavish, laughable, light-hearted, lots of laughs, madcap, mirthful, mischievous, off-the-wall, puckish, quirky, raffish, rascally, rib-tickling, rollicking, roguish, satiric, scampish, sharp-witted, side-splitting, slapstick, teasing, tongue-in-cheek, tricksy, uproarious, wacky, wag, WAGGISH, witty, zany

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“I wonder if you can become WAGGISH by studying humour, or whether it’s an innate talent that can't be learned?”

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