crack wise
Deliver sharp quips
To crack wise is to make jokes or wisecracks, especially flippant or sarcastic ones: He kept cracking wise during the meeting.
The phrase suggests humor that's quick and perhaps inappropriate to the moment—more smart-aleck than genuinely funny.
Mainly American.
- wisecrackFlippant clever remark
- witClever, inventive humor
- sharp tongueTendency toward cutting remarks
- comedianProfessional humor performer
- comic reliefHumor easing dramatic tension
barb · retort · snappy comeback · jest · one liner · mischievousness · quip · repartee · rejoinder · poke fun · irreverence · cheekiness · tongue in cheek · banter · dry humor · joke · comeback · zing
verbal approach
crack wisehold your tongue
Refrain from speaking
bite your tongue · keep quiet · hold back · keep mum · say nothing
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