Report of the Competition EVE iSked our readers to do

a very difficult thing : to give definitions of wit and humour with an example of each, but. we feel that the judging .of this competition is an even more difficult' task. For very often what one person will consider wit, another will consider humour, and vice versa. Iii desperation, the present writer 'looked -up the word "hum our " in the Encyclopaedia 13ritatznica, and found con- firmation of his worst fears on discovering that this omniscient tome' considers "humour " to be a term which " not only refuses to be - defined; but in a sense boasts of being inde- finable." Most 'people—but not everybody—are agreed that humour is more genial in its attitude than wit, that humour appeals to the emotions and wit to the intellect. Mr.. James Hall defines humour as " temperamental wit " : wit, as " intellectual humour" ; Miss F. A. Hicks puts the same idea very neatly into different words : " Humour might be defined as the mirth of the heart, wit as the mirth of the intellect." The derivations and old uses of the two words testify to this distinction. Humour refers to the admixture of moods to the temperament. Wit refers to' the faculty of perceiving, and is a cousin of vision, idea, and wisdom: We award the prize of five guineas to Dr. C. R. Haines for his interesting and entertaining entry printed below :— WIT AND. HUMOUR. - - Humour is much more difficult to define than wit, being, as it is, much more diffuse and diversified, and capable of being expressed verbally, pictorially and even by gesture (teak Charlie Chaplin). There is also an unconscious humour. Moreover wit appeals only to human being's, while humour can be attributed to animals and birds, such as elephants, monkeys, dogs and crows. The best concise definition of humour is perhaps the one attributed to Anna- Evans, though Mr. Postgate in a recent number of the Listener put it to the credit of Mr. J. B. Priestley. It is " Thinking in jest., while feeling in earnest." It is from its shortness necessarily inadequate.

Wit, then, may be said to appeal more to the mind, and humour more to the emotions, the seat of wit being in the brain, of humour in the midriff. Wit evokes from us a smile, while humour tickles us into laughter. They differ in fact somewhat as a merry thought differs from a funny bone. But we may differentiate them more seriously in a quatrain thus :—

" In things incongruous hid they find Analogies with subtle art, - Wit with the searchlight of the mind, Huttiour with moving of the heart."

DEFINITIONS.

Wit.—Intellectual legerdemain, or the lightning perception, in things outwardly incongruous, of some subtle analogy; vividly and tersely expressied.

Exismple :-

A certain orator in Parliament yawned in the middle of his own speech, at which naive expression of his feelings a member of the House sitting near whispered to his neighbour, " The man is not without taste, but he usurps our functions."

Humour.—By contrasting the obvious application of a thing with some totally unlooked-for aspect of it, presented in caricature, half seriously, half jestingly, it both amuses and teaches by making us htUgh and think.

Example:— 'The champion bore of a club went up to a fellow member and said, " I was never so insulted in my life, I have been offered £100 to resign from the club. What should you do I " The other answered : " Wait a bit, you will get a better offer."

• Meadowleigh, Peterece2d. C. R. HAD:Es, M.A., D.D., F.S.A.

In the entry, which we quote below, the subtle distinction between writ and humour is admirably demonstrated.

Humour finds fun in life : Wit finds words for humour.

Example

Wit.—Kindly Professor to Needy Student : " You want a new coat, my lad, that one is too short for you." Needy Student": " Oh, it'll be long enough before I get a new one ! "

Humour.—The kindly Professor desired to share his amusement. So when he met his class he told them, " Young Needy made such a smart reply when I remarked his coat was too short. He said it would be a long time before he got a new one. Receiving blank stares instead of the laughter he expected, he was heard to murmur in a puzzled tone, " Dear me, it's odd it doesn't seem as funny as

when Needy Said it ! " PROFESSOR.