Bon mot
A bon mot [ bɔ̃ˈmo ] ( French bon “good” and mot “word”, ie “good word”) is a funny idea, a witty joke word, an apt remark or a successful saying in relation to the situation.
Bonmots are considered a sign of spirit and are part of the ability to move around in demanding company (see conversation ). A bon mot differs from the related aphorism primarily in the way it is conveyed: a bon mot is typically spoken, an aphorism is written. The bon mot is the quick-witted, witty remark in conversation. In addition, the aphorism emphasizes the inherent knowledge , while the bon mot usually focuses on the entertainment value.
Bonmots include spoken or written flashes of inspiration , (piquant) allusions , word games , paradoxes and ambiguities.
The English equivalent, which is increasingly displacing the French term in common parlance, is one-liner (short for one-line joke but not only related to jokes).
Examples
- Many of the examples of jokes in Sigmund Freud's The Joke and its Relation to the Unconscious are bon mots.
- Don't trust any statistics that you haven't faked yourself.
- Only when the tide comes down do you see who is swimming naked. ( Warren Buffett )
literature
A bon mot Canrobert’s . In: The Gazebo . Volume 2, 1867, pp. 32 ( full text [ Wikisource ]).
