What's the difference between witticism and wittiness?

Witticism


Definition:

  • (n.) A witty saying; a sentence or phrase which is affectedly witty; an attempt at wit; a conceit.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) But what they take for a witticism might very well be true; most of Ellis's novels tell more or less the same story, about the same alienated ennui, and maybe they really are nothing more than the fictionalised diaries of an unremarkably unhappy man.
  • (2) He enquired as to Morrissey's Christian name and, on being told "Steven", muttered: "I knew it was either that or Jim..." Meanwhile Morrissey remained his shy and retiring self, entering the conversation now and then with a clear point or a dry witticism.
  • (3) Favourite line: Goldfinger, preparing to dissect 007's groin with his laser beam: "Choose your next witticism carefully, Mr Bond, it may be your last."
  • (4) Unkind though it is to remind him of his own cruel witticism aimed at Gordon Brown when he was at his weakest, there is now more than something of Mr Bean about Dr Cable.
  • (5) The question evaporates, however, in the dry witticism, "It is commonly said that this is the difference between the affections and the intellect."
  • (6) The theory is used to conceptualize the humor elicited by jokes, witticisms, and social events that are neither intended nor expected to be humorous.
  • (7) Sadly, tangential forms of humor such as fun, mirth, frivolity, songs, jokes, puns, witticisms, and other forms of humor are not as readily addressed or investigated.
  • (8) ", "Little Princess", "Sweet and tasty" and, of course, the eternally hilarious witticisms upon the acronym FCUK.
  • (9) Everyone knows this putdown: it's nearly as famous as your witticism about everyone thinking rich men need wives.
  • (10) So, here was a polite speech, given to serried ranks of grey-haired architectural folk who laughed politely at studied witticisms and clapped politely when it was over.
  • (11) Nor is that witticism (originally from a 1942 Wall Street Journal article) a particularly good example of the construction that linguists call "preposition stranding", as in "Who did you talk to?"
  • (12) In some cases, this can lead to a pleasant surprise: long-lost pictures, an old witticism, a fragment of a distant conversation.

Wittiness


Definition:

  • (n.) The quality of being witty.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) This House , his witty political drama set in the whips' office of 1970s Westminster, transferred from the National's Cottesloe theatre to the Olivier, following critical acclaim.
  • (2) That merriment is not just tankards and quaintness and mimsy Morris dancing, but a witty, angry and tender fire at the centre of Englishness.
  • (3) Witty's comments came as GSK unveiled lower first half sales and profits, and a further £500m of cost cuts by the end of 2015.
  • (4) We encourage people to speak up if they have concerns" #gsk July 24, 2013 12.29pm BST Witty says this investigation is "quite different" to the whistleblower claims the company recently investigated and found no evidence of wrongdoing.
  • (5) Pauline Kael, when reviewing the film, said, "Jane Fonda has been a charming, witty, nudie cutie in recent years, and now gets a chance at an archetypal character.
  • (6) His works are witty rather than wise, pacey not profound.
  • (7) Mohamedou Ould Slahi: “smart, witty, garrulous, and curiously undamaged” Another team inside the plane dragged me and fastened me on a small and straight seat.
  • (8) While researching his forthcoming book, A History of the World in Twelve Maps , Brotton sometimes brought up the "one-to-one map" idea, from Borges and Carroll, with people at Google, but they didn't find it particularly witty or intriguing.
  • (9) But I do try to find the good in everybody," Parton says perkily, and later proves it by describing Sylvester Stallone – her co-star in the deservedly little-seen 1984 film Rhinestone – as "just a nut, but so witty!".
  • (10) Best known in this country as the author of a large number of witty and provocative books - and as the Reith lecturer in 1966 - Galbraith was professor of economics at Harvard University from 1949 until his retirement in 1975, but was equally well known in the US as a distinguished civil servant and longtime, tireless adviser and campaigner for liberal Democrats and their causes.
  • (11) Critics who saw Budapest at the Berlin film festival, where it premiered this month, have called it "vibrant and imaginative" , "nimblefooted, witty" , and as a sucker for Anderson's stuff since his early days, I'd agree.
  • (12) He duly obliged and the crowd was treated to the first look at Age of Ultron, starting with a witty interchange between the Avengers as each, enjoying a drink and dressed in civilian clothing, tries to lift Thor’s hammer.
  • (13) Witty backed the prime minister’s efforts to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s EU membership.
  • (14) In an interview with the Observer , Witty said: "While the chief executive of the company could move, maybe the top 20 directors could move, what about the 16,000 people who work for us?
  • (15) And, in any case, Preston is obviously bright and witty and engaging.
  • (16) There is something very Avaazian about the crisistunity, I come to think, in that it's borrowed something slick and witty from popular culture and re-purposed it for something which used to be called the Greater Good.
  • (17) Sometimes, when stood by the bar, caught in the witty back-and-forth between two strange men, it feels like you're out in bad weather without a hat.
  • (18) Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker In recent years, Christmas at Scottish Ballet has been defined by Ashley Page’s witty, acerbic re-writes of the 19th century classics.
  • (19) Seen as a warm and witty liberal, he founded the parliamentary bicycle pool and has earned the moniker the "bicycling baronet" (the Youngs featured on a British Rail poster promoting the transport of bicycles by rail in 1982).
  • (20) Witty was optimistic that “ultimately there are going to be some pragmatic decisions made” that would ensure companies were able to attract global talent.

Words possibly related to "witticism"

Words possibly related to "wittiness"