What does witticism mean?
Word: Witticism
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Witticism means a clever and funny remark.
Synonyms: quip, joke, pun, one-liner
Word origin: Coined in 1677 by the English poet John Dryden, from witty.
How do you spell witticism?
Syllables: wit - ti - cism
Tricky part: There is a double t, as in witty: witicism, with one t, is the usual slip.
Watch out for: witicism, wittycism
Memory tip: Witty gives witticism its start, so keep both t's of witty.
Witticism in a sentence
Example 1: Oscar Wilde was famous for the witticisms that amused London audiences.
Example 2: Our class teacher ends every lesson with a witticism.
Example 3: The speech was full of sharp witticisms about school life.
Fun Fact
In Old English, wit meant the mind or understanding, the same sense that survives in being at your wits' end.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
witti____
a) zism
b) cysm
c) sism
d) cism
Show answer
d) cism. The ending matches criticism, with c before the i.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. witticism 2. blunder 3. hardship a. jest b. difficulty c. mistake
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. A witticism is a jest, a blunder is a mistake and a hardship is a difficulty.
Word Tally
3 marks are given for each correctly spelt word. How many marks does this list earn?
witticism, limerick, parody, sattire, riddel
a) 12
b) 9
c) 6
d) 3
Show answer
b) 9. Satire has one t and riddle ends in -le; the other three words are right, worth 9 marks.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
mictsitiw
a) a short poem with five lines
b) a feeling of great sadness
c) an amusing line that shows quick thinking
d) a mistake in a sum
Show answer
c) an amusing line that shows quick thinking. The nine letters rearrange into witticism, the kind of line that makes a whole room laugh.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A witticism differs from a long funny story because it is ____.
a) told only to children
b) written in verse
c) always sad
d) short and sharp
Show answer
d) short and sharp
2. A person famous for witticisms is ____.
a) good at drawing maps
b) quick and funny with words
c) shy in front of crowds
d) slow and careful with money
Show answer
b) quick and funny with words
