the.com/mot
A witty remark so sharp it earns its own one-syllable name.
means A short, clever, perfectly-phrased remark — a verbal dart aimed and landed in one syllable.
from From French 'mot,' meaning simply 'word.' English borrowed it specifically in the phrase 'mot juste' (the exact right word) and in 'bon mot' (a good, witty saying), then clipped it down to stand alone — so the word for 'word' became, in English, shorthand for the perfect word.
- origin
- French for word, borrowed for zingers
- full form
- bon mot means good word
- usage
- literary code for showing off briefly
- brevity
- three letters, maximum smugness