Banter vs Twit - What's the difference?

In transitive terms the difference between banter and twit

is that banter is to delude or trick; to play a prank upon while twit is to reproach, blame; to ridicule or tease.

As nouns the difference between banter and twit

is that banter is good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation while twit is a reproach, gibe or taunt.

As verbs the difference between banter and twit

is that banter is to engage in banter or playful conversation while twit is to reproach, blame; to ridicule or tease.

banter

English

Noun

(-)

Good-humoured, playful, typically spontaneous conversation.

It seemed like I'd have to listen to her playful banter for hours.

Verb

(en verb)

To engage in banter or playful conversation.

To play or do something amusing.

To tease (someone) mildly.

* Washington Irving

Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then bantered on my haggard looks the next day.

* Charlotte Brontë

Mr. Sweeting was bantered about his stature—he was a little man, a mere boy in height and breadth compared with the athletic Malone

To joke about; to ridicule (a trait, habit, etc.).

* Chatham

If they banter' your regularity, order, and love of study, ' banter in return their neglect of them.

To delude or trick; to play a prank upon.

* Daniel De Foe

We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor scholars with hopes of being at least his lordship's chaplain.

(transitive, US, Southern and Western, colloquial) To challenge to a match.

Synonyms

* (tease) kid, wind up

Derived terms

* (l)

References

Anagrams

twit

English

Verb

(twitt)

To reproach, blame; to ridicule or tease.

* 1590 , Shakespeare. History of Henry VI , Part II, Act III, Scene I

"Hath he not twit our sovereign lady here

With ignominious words, though clerkly couch'd,

As if she had suborned some to swear

False allegations to o'erthrow his state? " -

* 1955 , edition, ISBN 0553249592, page 106:

Mr. Cramer, a policeman, came this morning and twitted me for having let a murderer hoodwink me.

* 2007 , Bernard Porter, "Did He Puff his Crimes to Please a Bloodthirsty Readership?", review of Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa’s Greatest Explorer'' by Tim Jeal, ''London Review of Books , 5 April, 29:7, p. 10

H. R. Fox Bourne, secretary of the Aborigines' Protection Society – often twitted for being an ‘armchair critic’ – wrote in a review of one of Stanley's books

* Tillotson

This these scoffers twitted the Christian with.

* L'Estrange

Aesop minds men of their errors, without twitting them for what is amiss.

(computing) To ignore or killfile (a user on a bulletin board system).

* 1995 , "Michelle Jackson", Debutante/Question about Tori Shirts'' (on newsgroup ''rec.music.tori-amos )

However, on the Internet BBS's such as Quartz (now dead), Prism, Monsoon, Sunset, ect(SIC), someone pulling that kind of crap is likely to get flamed quite fast and twitted before he/she can breathe.

* 2002 , "Chris Hoppman", FidoNet Feed Needed'' (on newsgroup ''alt.bbs )

And no, there is no "thought purification program" that can filter out some folks(SIC) obscene ideas that can be expressed w/o written vulgarities. That has to be simply "dealt" with, either by ignoring or twitting the individual that offends habitually.

Noun

(en noun)

A reproach, gibe or taunt.

A foolish or annoying person.

* (rfdate) (Larry Kramer), Just Say No

What do you mean, since when did I become such a radical fairy? Since I started knowing twits' like you, you ' twit !

Usage notes

In the UK and UK English-speaking areas, usually used in a humorous or affectionate manner.

Derived terms

* (l)

Synonyms

* See also