Today we’re going to try to help flesh out the missing pieces on an incomplete verbal continuum in the English language.
To begin, calling somebody witty is generally considered a compliment.
However calling someone a dim wit, nit wit or witless is generally considered insulting.
So we have the makings here of the “wit” continuum, with witty or ‘full of wit’ on one end and witless on the other end. We also have a couple of intermediate steps between the two extremes.
And, naturally, a half-wit is right in the middle. Or is it? As you can see in our graphic, we felt that half-wit was actually left of center, somehow implying an insult even though the term itself means it would fall right in the middle.
It seems that both the amount as well as the quality of the wit need to be taken into consideration when determining whether a term is to be classified as a compliment or an insult.
This brings up the question of where the “standard” amount of wit would fall and what it should be called. It can not be on the far right, because telling someone they are witty would not be a compliment if EVERYONE was witty. What do you think?
Are there other wit-related terms that we can fit into this continuum? Please feel free to make words up. Let us know where you think they might fit on the scale as well!
Some wit?
Of wit? As in, ‘he is a man of wit.’
And where would ‘quick witted’ fit on the sliding scale?
Well if you have half wit, it would seem to allow for a numerical scale. I believe witty represents anywhere from 1.5 wits to 2 wits. This leaves room for others like whole wit or total wit. Maybe even a three-quarters wit. And we mustant forget twit.
mustn’t** (stupid contractions)