What term means a short, witty statement?

What term means a short, witty statement?

• A. Epigram
• B. Satire
• C. Deus Ex Machina
• D. Reversal Of Expectations

Answer: (A)

An epigram is a short, witty statement that delivers a clever, often paradoxical observation in a compact form. This kind of line is a signature of Oscar Wilde’s wit, where a single sentence can reveal a sharp truth with humor. For example, “I can resist everything except temptation” is a classic epigram: brief, memorable, and punchy because it plays on a contradiction in a single breath. The other terms describe broader ideas rather than a quotable one-liner: satire uses humor to critique society, a Deus Ex Machina resolves a plot in an unexpected way, and a reversal of expectations refers to a twist in events rather than a concise witty remark. So the term for a short, witty statement is epigram.

An epigram is a short, witty statement that delivers a clever, often paradoxical observation in a compact form. This kind of line is a signature of Oscar Wilde’s wit, where a single sentence can reveal a sharp truth with humor. For example, “I can resist everything except temptation” is a classic epigram: brief, memorable, and punchy because it plays on a contradiction in a single breath. The other terms describe broader ideas rather than a quotable one-liner: satire uses humor to critique society, a Deus Ex Machina resolves a plot in an unexpected way, and a reversal of expectations refers to a twist in events rather than a concise witty remark. So the term for a short, witty statement is epigram.