"Ho, ho," Martie said, because she was too rattled to think of a witty reply.

"Happy birthday" is one of those conversation killers, which leave the person on its receiving end no opportunity for a witty reply.

His witty but heartless reply that he, "was no coroner", was received among British officers with great amusement and even made the rounds in London.

I held back the witty reply designed to demolish him, for I knew that was exactly what he wanted.

Thence he put forth a witty and effective reply to John Saltmarsh, who had attacked his views on ecclesiastical reform.

If Gervasa had a witty reply to that, she kept it to herself.

He was not quick or clever enough to make the witty reply.

The church would put up one sign and the hotel would have another with a witty reply to the church's sign.

38 Phyllis Schlafly never comes up with a witty or tart reply.

In everyday language, a riposte is synonymous with a retort and describes a quick and witty reply to an argument or an insult.