Quote Origin: “The Pun Is the Lowest Form of Wit” “Yes, That Means It Is the Foundation of All Wit”

Henry Erskine? John Dryden? Tom Sheridan? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: An irritated critic stated that puns were the lowest form of wit. A wordsmith responded to this attack with the following clever conclusion which twisted the remark using word play. Since puns occupy the lowest position they must be the foundation of all humor. …