witticism(n = noun.communication) humor, humour, wit, wittiness - a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter;
is a kind of content, message, subject matter, substance
has particulars: jeu d'esprit, bon mot, mot, esprit de l'escalier, bite, pungency, caustic remark, irony, sarcasm, satire, repartee, gag, jape, jest, joke, laugh, caricature, imitation, impersonation, cartoon, sketch, fun, play, sport, ribaldry, topper
A witty saying; a sentence or phrase which is affectedly witty; an attempt at wit; a conceit. Milton. [1913 Webster]
"He is full of conceptions, points of epigram, and witticisms; all which are below the dignity of heroic verse." [1913 Webster]
witticism, n. a witty remark.
Etymology:
coined by Dryden (1677) f. WITTY, after criticism
N wit, humor, wittiness, sense of humor, attic wit, attic salt, atticism, salt, esprit, point, fancy, whim, drollery, pleasantry, farce, buffoonery, fooling, tomfoolery, shenanigan, harlequinade, broad farce, broad humor, fun, espieglerie, vis comica, jocularity, jocosity, jocoseness, facetiousness, waggery, waggishness, whimsicality, comicality, banter, badinage, retort, repartee, smartness, ready wit, quid- pro-quo, ridicule, jest, joke, jape, jibe, facetiae, levity, quips and cranks, capital joke, canorae nugae, standing jest, standing joke, private joke, conceit, quip, quirk, crank, quiddity, concetto, plaisanterie, brilliant idea, merry thought, bright thought, happy thought, sally, flash of wit, flash of merriment, scintillation, mot, mot pour rire, witticism, smart saying, bon-mot, jeu d'esprit, epigram, jest book, dry joke, quodlibet, cream of the jest, word-play, jeu de mots, play of words, play upon words, pun, punning, double entente, double entendre, quibble, verbal quibble, conundrum, anagram, acrostic, double acrostic, trifling, idle conceit, turlupinade, old joke, tired joke, flat joke, Joe Miller, witty, attic, quick-witted, nimble-witted, smart, jocular, jocose, humorous, facetious, waggish, whimsical, kidding, joking, puckish, playful, merry and wise, pleasant, sprightly, light, spirituel, sparkling, epigrammatic, full of point, ben trovato, comic, zany, madcap, funny, amusing, jokingly, in joke, in jest, in sport, in play, adhibenda est in jocando moderatio, gentle dullness ever loves a joke, leave this keen encounter of our wits, just joking, just kidding, surely you jest!.