quip
a humorous remark
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
At dinner Pope Francis half-jokingly toasted his fellow Cardinals with a prayerful QUIP: "May God forgive you for what you have done!"
(BBC News)
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Obama Apologizes for Off-Key QUIP
(New York Times)
(BBC News)
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Obama Apologizes for Off-Key QUIP
(New York Times)
Did you
know?
quip
noun
- a humorous and clever remark
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
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A quip - a short and witty comment - sounds like it was made on the spur of the moment. This is what differentiates a quip from any other humorous remark. Even though the speaker may have already had the quip in mind, the spontaneity of the remark makes it sound clever. The term is a 16th century variant of quippy, which was used in the same sense and is perhaps from the Latin "quipped," which was used sarcastically to mean "indeed."
The following is a sample of quips from several celebrities:
- I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. (Mark Twain)
- I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception. (Groucho Marks)
- The biggest argument against democracy is a five minute discussion with the average voter. (Winston Churchill)
- I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food. (W. C. Fields)
- He loves nature in spite of what it did to him. (Forrest Tucker)
- In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk. (Rita Rudner)
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SYNONYMS
bon mot, crack, gag, gibe, jeer, jest, joke, pun, repartee, retort, riposte, sally, wisecrack, witticism
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"She's a great speaker who is always ready with a good quip."
noun
- a humorous and clever remark
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)
---
A quip - a short and witty comment - sounds like it was made on the spur of the moment. This is what differentiates a quip from any other humorous remark. Even though the speaker may have already had the quip in mind, the spontaneity of the remark makes it sound clever. The term is a 16th century variant of quippy, which was used in the same sense and is perhaps from the Latin "quipped," which was used sarcastically to mean "indeed."
The following is a sample of quips from several celebrities:
- I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. (Mark Twain)
- I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception. (Groucho Marks)
- The biggest argument against democracy is a five minute discussion with the average voter. (Winston Churchill)
- I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food. (W. C. Fields)
- He loves nature in spite of what it did to him. (Forrest Tucker)
- In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk. (Rita Rudner)
---
SYNONYMS
bon mot, crack, gag, gibe, jeer, jest, joke, pun, repartee, retort, riposte, sally, wisecrack, witticism
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"She's a great speaker who is always ready with a good quip."
