I.a jest, witticism; drollery, piece of humor.
I. Sing. (ante- and post-class.): haec facetiast, amare inter se rivalis duos, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 47: “jocularis,” Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 1, 21: “facetia sermonis Plauto congruentis,” Gell. 3, 3, 3: “facetiae habere, res divinas deridere,” App. Mag. 56, p. 310, 27. —
II. Plur.: făcētĭae , ārum.
A. A witty or clever thing in action or behavior (Plautin.): “mulier, quoi facetiarum cor corpusque sit plenum et doli,” Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 186: “fecisti, here, facetias, quom, etc.,” id. Stich. 5, 2, 7.—
B. Wit, witty sayings, witticisms, pleasantry, drollery, humor, facetiousness (class.; “syn.: sal, dicacitas, cavillatio, lepos, urbanitas, comitas): (sales), quorum duo genera sunt, unum facetiarum, alterum dicacitatis,” Cic. Or. 26, 87: “cum duo genera sint facetiarum ... illa a veteribus superior cavillatio, haec altera dicacitas nominata est,” id. de Or. 2, 54, 218: “facetiis autem maxime homines delectari, si quando risus conjuncte, re verboque moveatur,” id. ib. 2, 61, 248: “P. Scipio omnes sale facetiisque superabat,” id. Brut. 34, 128: “festivitate et facetiis C. Julius et superioribus et aequalibus suis omnibus praestitit,” id. ib. 48, 177: “sale tuo et lepore et politissimis facetiis pellexisti,” id. de Or. 1, 57, 243: “accedat oportet lepos quidam facetiaeque,” id. ib. 1, 5, 17; cf.: “dulces Latini leporis facetiae,” Vell. 1, 17, 1: “facetiarum quidam lepos,” Cic. de Or. 1, 34, 159: “facie magis quam facetiis ridiculus,” id. Att 1, 13, 2: “ego mirifice capior facetiis, maxime nostratibus (corresp. to sales),” id. Fam. 9, 15, 2: “asperis facetiis illusus,” sarcasms, Tac. A. 15, 68; cf. “acerbae,” id. ib. 5, 2: “per facetias incusare aliquem,” id. ib. 14, 1.
