quip

[email protected] 7 Apr 2007 10:52:21 -0000
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The Word of the Day for April 6 is: 

quip   \KWIP\   noun
     1 a : a clever usually taunting remark : gibe  *b : a witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment 
     2 : quibble, equivocation 
     3 : something strange, droll, curious, or eccentric : oddity

Example sentence:
     To almost every comment I made, Adam responded with a quip and a smile.

Did you know?
     "Quip" is an abbreviation of "quippy," a noun that is no longer in use. Etymologists believe that "quippy" derived from the Latin "quippe," a word meaning "indeed" or "to be sure" that was often used ironically. The earliest sense of "quip," referring to a cutting or sarcastic remark, was common for approximately a century after it first appeared in print in 1532. It then fell out of use until the beginning of the 19th century, when it underwent a revival that continues to the present day.  

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. 





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