humor, wit

Humor may be defined as a comic quality causing amusement: "The humor of his predicament caused him to laugh at himself." Humor is also applied to the abilities and faculties of seeing, understanding, appreciating, and expressing what is amusing and laughter-producing and to a frame of mind (in a good humor that day). Humor consists largely of a recognition and expression of oddities, peculiarities, and absurdities in an act or situation. Wit is derived from an Old English word, witan, meaning "to know," and still possesses the idea of understanding and recognizing. Wit is an intellectual display of cleverness and quickness of perception, whereas humor is less obviously mental in its approaches to absurdity and incongruity. Wit plays with words; humor rises from situations or incidents and involves a sympathetic and even kindly recognition of the follies and stupidities of mankind. In Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I, Falstaff demonstrates his wit through the use of puns and verbal fencing. His bluffing, his laughter at himself, and his recognition of the ludicrousness of various situations are examples of humor.