How to Improve Your Wit
Learn about types of wit., Observe witty people., Be curious., Immerse yourself in wit.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn about types of wit.
There are a couple related but different ways to think about the idea of wit, and many different ways to express it.
Before you get started, consider what "improving your wit" means to you.
A manner of speaking that is amusing because it is surprising and clever:
Probably the most common use of the word today, this is what people generally mean when they speak of, “being witty.”One’s general intellectual faculties; ability to reason; mental capacity:
As in, “to keep one’s wits about one,” “natural wit,” “to have the wit to,” or “dim-witted.”Facility with words; deft use of language:
As in, "witty banter."Aphorism:
A short saying that seem to encapsulates a general truth.Examples include, “Wise men don't need advice; fools don't take it” (Benjamin Franklin), and “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone” (Dorothy Parker).Epigram:
A short, clever, usually barbed statement; a short poem about a single subject, often ending with an unexpected or clever twist of thought.A famous Dorothy Parker epigram about Oscar Wilde is, “If, with the literate, I am/Impelled to try an epigram,/I never seek to take the credit;/We all assume that Oscar said it.”Repartee:
A quick, droll response or comeback; witty banter.
For example, in response to a witty comment made by the painter James McNeill Whistler, Oscar Wilde once remarked, “I wish I’d said that”; Whistler replied, “You will, Oscar, you will.”Quip:
A general word for any witty remark; see “witticism.” -
Step 2: Observe witty people.
Think of people you know who are particularly witty, and try to dissect why.
What characteristics do they have that you find interesting or amusing? Be as specific as possible; when you’re learning something new, the first step is to break it down into smaller chunks in order to understand and replicate it. , Witty people are constantly asking questions and learning—if you accept everything at face value without engaging your curiosity, you won’t have much to quip about.
As Dorothy Parker wrote, “Wit has truth in it; wise-cracking is simply calisthenics with words."To say interesting things, one must be both interested and interesting.
Indulge your obsessions.
Find something about which you are passionate, and dive into it.
Learn as much as you can.
The more you know about something, the better equipped you are to say clever things about it.
Listen to and take genuine interest in the people around you.
You’ve probably known someone who was so preoccupied with thinking of his next joke that he never seemed fully present in conversation.
Did this person seem particularly witty? Probably not.
Most funny people are keen observers of the world around them.
The people you talk to are like partners in an improve scene—if you’re not paying genuine attention to them, you won’t be able to respond in an engaging way.
Think critically and creatively.
Aristotle called wit “educated insolence,”and if you consider people like Louis C.K., George Carlin, Sarah Silverman, and Richard Pryor, you may find yourself in agreement.
These iconoclastic comedians use unexpected barbed critiques of the status quo as a vital part of their humor.
Think of an injustice in the world that rankles you, and try to find an original way to frame the problem. , Oscar Wilde once quipped, “Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit.” Ideally, exposing yourself to a wide array of witty media will help you learn about wit through osmosis; failing that, though, you can always follow Wilde’s advice, and store up some witty quotations as a substitute.
Read books.
A lot of history’s best examples of wit come from literature.
Good places to start include Dorothy Parker, Vladimir Nabokov, P.G.
Wodehouse, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Kurt Vonnegut, James Joyce, Voltaire, Gertrude Stein, George Elliot, Mae West, and Oscar Wilde.
Watch standup comedy.
Comedians make a living off being witty, and lots can be learned from observing them.
Some particularly witty comics include George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Sarah Silverman, Jerry Seinfeld, Mitch Hedberg, Maria Bamford, Ellen Degeneres, and Greg Proops.
Watch movies and television.
There is much to be learned about wit from watching funny television shows and movies.
Some great examples are Anchorman, The Princess Bride, Monty Python, 30 Rock, Frasier, The Office, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Dr.
Strangelove, Strangers with Candy, The Importance of Being Earnest, In The Loop, and anything by Woody Allen. -
Step 3: Be curious.
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Step 4: Immerse yourself in wit.
Detailed Guide
There are a couple related but different ways to think about the idea of wit, and many different ways to express it.
Before you get started, consider what "improving your wit" means to you.
A manner of speaking that is amusing because it is surprising and clever:
Probably the most common use of the word today, this is what people generally mean when they speak of, “being witty.”One’s general intellectual faculties; ability to reason; mental capacity:
As in, “to keep one’s wits about one,” “natural wit,” “to have the wit to,” or “dim-witted.”Facility with words; deft use of language:
As in, "witty banter."Aphorism:
A short saying that seem to encapsulates a general truth.Examples include, “Wise men don't need advice; fools don't take it” (Benjamin Franklin), and “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone” (Dorothy Parker).Epigram:
A short, clever, usually barbed statement; a short poem about a single subject, often ending with an unexpected or clever twist of thought.A famous Dorothy Parker epigram about Oscar Wilde is, “If, with the literate, I am/Impelled to try an epigram,/I never seek to take the credit;/We all assume that Oscar said it.”Repartee:
A quick, droll response or comeback; witty banter.
For example, in response to a witty comment made by the painter James McNeill Whistler, Oscar Wilde once remarked, “I wish I’d said that”; Whistler replied, “You will, Oscar, you will.”Quip:
A general word for any witty remark; see “witticism.”
Think of people you know who are particularly witty, and try to dissect why.
What characteristics do they have that you find interesting or amusing? Be as specific as possible; when you’re learning something new, the first step is to break it down into smaller chunks in order to understand and replicate it. , Witty people are constantly asking questions and learning—if you accept everything at face value without engaging your curiosity, you won’t have much to quip about.
As Dorothy Parker wrote, “Wit has truth in it; wise-cracking is simply calisthenics with words."To say interesting things, one must be both interested and interesting.
Indulge your obsessions.
Find something about which you are passionate, and dive into it.
Learn as much as you can.
The more you know about something, the better equipped you are to say clever things about it.
Listen to and take genuine interest in the people around you.
You’ve probably known someone who was so preoccupied with thinking of his next joke that he never seemed fully present in conversation.
Did this person seem particularly witty? Probably not.
Most funny people are keen observers of the world around them.
The people you talk to are like partners in an improve scene—if you’re not paying genuine attention to them, you won’t be able to respond in an engaging way.
Think critically and creatively.
Aristotle called wit “educated insolence,”and if you consider people like Louis C.K., George Carlin, Sarah Silverman, and Richard Pryor, you may find yourself in agreement.
These iconoclastic comedians use unexpected barbed critiques of the status quo as a vital part of their humor.
Think of an injustice in the world that rankles you, and try to find an original way to frame the problem. , Oscar Wilde once quipped, “Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit.” Ideally, exposing yourself to a wide array of witty media will help you learn about wit through osmosis; failing that, though, you can always follow Wilde’s advice, and store up some witty quotations as a substitute.
Read books.
A lot of history’s best examples of wit come from literature.
Good places to start include Dorothy Parker, Vladimir Nabokov, P.G.
Wodehouse, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Kurt Vonnegut, James Joyce, Voltaire, Gertrude Stein, George Elliot, Mae West, and Oscar Wilde.
Watch standup comedy.
Comedians make a living off being witty, and lots can be learned from observing them.
Some particularly witty comics include George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Sarah Silverman, Jerry Seinfeld, Mitch Hedberg, Maria Bamford, Ellen Degeneres, and Greg Proops.
Watch movies and television.
There is much to be learned about wit from watching funny television shows and movies.
Some great examples are Anchorman, The Princess Bride, Monty Python, 30 Rock, Frasier, The Office, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Dr.
Strangelove, Strangers with Candy, The Importance of Being Earnest, In The Loop, and anything by Woody Allen.
About the Author
Theresa Hart
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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