Witty Wilde is king of quips
2007-10-15 07:25
London - Playwright Oscar Wilde, who even
managed to mutter on his death bed "Either those curtains go or
I do", was named in a poll on Monday as Britain's greatest wit.
He captured 20% of the vote, just two points ahead of
comedian Spike Milligan, who had engraved on his tombstone the
epitaph "I told you I was ill".
In the Top 10 of famous wits, wartime leader Winston
Churchill made it to number five for his notorious putdowns.
When accused by Labour parliamentarian Bessie Braddock of
being drunk, he said: "Bessie, you're ugly. And tomorrow morning
I will be sober but you will still be ugly."
The playwright Noel Coward comes in at number seven, saying
of humour: "Wit ought to be a glorious treat like caviar. Never
spread it about like marmalade."
Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, more renowned for
her steely personality than her roustabout humour, was the
highest ranked woman in the poll, taking 12th place.
She once quipped: "Being powerful is like being a lady. If
you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
The poll of 3 000 comedy fans was conducted to mark the
launch of a new UKTV digital television channel called Dave
under the banner "The home of witty banter".
- Reuters