What's the difference between a joke and a wisecrack? Well, for starters, a joke is more likely to be in a question-and-answer format! A joke is something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, whether it be a knock-knock joke, a prank, or a short, amusing anecdote. The noun wisecrack is more specific: this term is defined as a smart or facetious remark, usually a one-liner that pokes fun at someone or something. A wisecrack is not exactly a pun, which typically involves a play on words, nor is it a gag, which sometimes involves a prank or boisterous physical humor. A wisecrack is closer to a quip or gibe, which is a taunting or sarcastic remark.

A sarcastic remark is one that is sharply ironic or sneering, often intended for humorous effect. Sarcasm is often conveyed through vocal inflection, and may be used in an indirect manner, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” The adjective caustic is defined as “severely critical” or (lo and behold!) “sarcastic.” To understand how it’s different from sarcastic, it’s helpful to look at the original meaning of caustic, “capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.” A caustic agent, such as lye (which is also called caustic soda), is one that can cause tissue damage. The destructive force of this primary sense is carried into figurative uses of the term: a caustic remark is one that can wound or corrode—even in service of a joke.

To refrain from something is to abstain from an impulse to say or do that thing. The idea of (self-) restraint is reflected in the word’s origins: refrain comes from the Latin verb refrēnāre meaning “to bridle,” or to control or hold back a horse. To forgo something is to give it up or to do without it; a patient might forgo medical treatment or an executive might forgo a bonus. Beware that forgo is sometimes spelled forego, but forego has a meaning all its own: “to go before” or “to precede.” To avoid ambiguity (and to please the editors in your life), forgo the e when spelling this subdued synonym.