bon mots
Sparkling verbal gems
Bon mots are clever, witty remarks—the kind that make people wish they'd thought of it first.
The French phrase (singular: bon mot) literally means "good words." Someone known for bon mots has a talent for memorable quips: Oscar Wilde's bon mots still circulate more than a century later.
The term carries a whiff of sophistication, suggesting wit that's polished rather than crude.
- witticismsClever, amusing remarks
- quipsBrief witty remarks
- sharp tongueTendency toward cutting remarks
- epigramsTerse witty statements
- pleasantriesPolite conversational formalities
esprit · aperçu · wit · well-turned phrase · wisecrack · wordplay · apothegm · pithy saying · maxim · irony · aphorism · repartee · verbal irony · cleverness · pithiness · retort · one-liner · sharpness
- comedycomedy, jokes, humor, puns, sarcasm
- humorjoke, jokes, joking, comedy, comic
- Quotationsfamous quotes, aphorisms, maxims, epigrams, famous last words
- clever humordry wit, wordplay, clever wordplay, clever banter, puns
- jokesjokes, joke, puns, one-liners, pun
- Wisdom & Wordsfamous quotes, wise sayings, maxims, aphorisms, proverbs
bon motsmalapropisms
Confused word substitutions
gaffes · clunkers · howlers · faux pas · platitudes
bon motsplatitudes
Trite moral remarks
clichés · banalities · bromides · truisms · stock phrases
bon motsfaux pas
Social misstep or indiscretion
social blunders · offensive remarks · inappropriate comments
motif, motley, bonbon, bon mot, bonhomie, bon vivant, mot juste, mot