Schmidt's bitter wit, shot through with insecurity and self-conscious braininess, calls to mind Lorrie Moore, but her voice isn't derivative.

Father was something of a philosopher himself, with a bitter wit and a trick of spitting out staccato epigrams.

A dedicated satirist, he has made the buying and selling of packaged experience a favorite target of his bitter wit.

Ms. Baxter's Flynn, divorced for two years, manages to be quite attractive while scowling and dripping bitter wit.

Helciug's lyrics often feature a bitter wit that does not lend itself to easy translation, especially because of his tendency to paraphrase (both musically and lyrically) pieces of well known traditional songs.

How do you capture the music's restless spirit, its bitter wit, its elegiac grace, its raunchy energy?

And it is unrelenting, the invective interrupted only by the occasional flash of bitter wit.

Shostakovich was even suggested a bit in Mr. Corigliano's second movement, though without his inventive, bitter wit.

"You know, Ayesha," I continued, "you have said many hard things to me, making me the target of your bitter wit, therefore it is not strange that at last I answered you."

Then, his foolish daring and bitter wit had attracted Richard.