facetiae

American  

[fuh-see-shee-ee] / fəˈsi ʃiˌi /

plural noun

1. amusing or witty remarks or writings.

2. Older Use. pornographic books or other writings.

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facetiae British  

/ fəˈsiːʃɪˌiː /

plural noun

1. humorous or witty sayings

2. obscene or coarsely witty books

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Etymology

Origin of facetiae

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin, plural of facētia “something witty, a joke”; see facete, -ia

Explanation

Facetiae is a plural noun that refers to witty sayings, clever jokes, and humorous writings. If you have a collection of joke books on your shelf, you have facetiae. Facetiae comes from the Latin word facetia, meaning "wit" or "cleverness." The word describes a genre of literature focused on humor and wit. Collections of facetiae were quite popular during the Renaissance. Educated readers enjoyed the short, pithy anecdotes and sharp-witted observations found in such collections. In later times, the term became a euphemism used in libraries as a label for more edgy writings or ribald humor. Today, a collection of facetiae likely includes works with a sophisticated style of comedy relying more on wordplay and irony than simple slapstick.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

facetiae

"Still older than Joe Miller," was our reply; "for, if we mistake not, it is the very first anecdote in the facetiae of Hierocles."

From Rejected Addresses by James Smith

Much of Thomas Warton's poetry, such as his facetiae in the "Oxford Sausage" and his "Triumph of Isis," had an academic flavor.

From A History of English Romanticism in the Eighteenth Century by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers

It meant being chaffed and gibed at in language of which he only understood that it was cruel, though certain trite facetiae grew intelligible to him by repetition.

From Children of the Ghetto A Study of a Peculiar People by Israel Zangwill

It is true, the methods were not many, being limited chiefly to that form of popular facetiae known as practical joking; and even this had assumed the seriousness of a business-pursuit.

From Tales of the Argonauts by Bret Harte

Both facetiae and lepos mean "agreeableness, humor, pleasantry," but lepos here seems to refer to diction, as in Cic.

From Conspiracy of Catiline and the Jurgurthine War by John Selby Watson