* Understatement: It avoids exaggeration and instead uses subtle, often ironic or sardonic, language.
* Deadpan delivery: The speaker or writer maintains a serious, unemotional expression, even when delivering a joke. This creates a sense of unexpectedness and humor.
* Sharp observation: Dry wit often relies on keen observations about human nature, societal norms, or everyday situations.
* Intelligence and sophistication: It often requires a degree of intelligence and cultural awareness to fully appreciate.
* Subtlety and subtlety: Dry wit is not in-your-face humor. It often relies on clever wordplay and double meanings to create its comedic effect.
Examples:
* "I'm not saying I'm lazy, but I once got fired from a job for sleeping in." (This is an understatement, delivered deadpan, and makes a humorous observation about laziness.)
* "The weather's been so bad lately, I saw a man with an umbrella walking his dog. The dog had a raincoat on." (This is a dry observation about the absurdity of a situation, delivered with a straight face.)
Dry wit can be a difficult form of humor to master, but when done well, it can be incredibly effective at creating laughter and thought-provoking commentary.