quip
quip — noun
1. a spontaneous, clever comment made in response to what someone has just said, an
a spontaneous, clever comment made in response to what someone has just said, and intended to be amusing
At the staff meeting, Eli’s quip about the broken printer lightened the mood instantly.
quip + about + topic
Ayesha’s quick quip saved her from having to explain why she was late.
Iker’s quip about the long queue had everyone nodding in agreement.
Ari ended the argument with a quip that made both sides laugh.
- quick quip
- quip about
- quip of the night
- make a quip
- deliver a quip
Grammar Patterns
quip + about + topic
quip + of + [event/group]
Usage Note
Often describes a remark made in direct response to something someone has said, rather than a rehearsed joke or planned speech.
Common Mistakes
❗ 'He told a long quip at the party.' ✅ 'He made a quick quip at the party.' — A quip is short and spontaneous; a longer, planned story is a joke or anecdote.
quip — verb
1. to say something clever and amusing, often as a quick reply to what someone has
to say something clever and amusing, often as a quick reply to what someone has just said
‘I’d tell you a joke about my job,’ Felipe quipped, ‘but I quit.’
quipped + direct quote
After the waiter brought the wrong order, Hao quipped about a ‘surprise menu.’
Spotting her friend’s new haircut, Tanvi quipped that the barber must have been in a hurry.
Present-participle opening + quipped that-clause
When a colleague asked about the empty desk, Ari quipped that the person had finally found a better office.
- quipped + quote
- quipped that
Grammar Patterns
Subject + quipped, + ‘direct quote’
Subject + quipped + that-clause
Usage Note
Most often used with a direct quote in quotation marks. The verb itself is rarely used in passive constructions.
Common Mistakes
❗ 'He quipped me a funny line.' ✅ 'He quipped, “That’s a funny line.”' — Quip does not take a direct object for what is said; the remark is given as a quoted statement.