Observing people, some of them seem to have a witty answer for everything. And a quick one too.
What exactly makes up this ability? Or is it a habit? Is this directly related to how fast one thinks of various possibilities, or does experience of listening / talking about funny situations help here?
Is there any particular pattern that can be observed here?
Looking for opinions, and your observations. Thanks.
a small amount of brain damage is usually essential
Speaking only of myself, the answer is yes. 
Ummmm…
I would say it’s a combination of better-than-average IQ, a good sense of humor, being well-read/informed, and a broad experience base.
Since you’re looking for opinions, let’s move this from GQ to IMHO.
samclem GQ moderator
I’d say that it takes knowing your audience and at least a healthy dose of not stopping to think about the consequences. The witty people that I’ve known have all at one time or another said something that either fell short or went past being funny.
I have to agree with everything said so far. I have been both praised and scolded for this ability, which I am assured by my communicants that I do posess. Well, so long as quick wit and ‘f**kin’ smartass are relatively synonymous.
Brain Damage, check. Tumor removed going on ten years ago, two golf balls worth.
Better than average IQ, well read, etc.
I would say so, With me It’s a matter of collecting anecdotes, jokes puns, and realizing they are appropriate to the situation, and working them in. I can only imagine some part of my brain power is constantly reading the ‘joke book’ and comparing it to my picture of reality at that point. Helps to tell jokes in context, too. Which in some company falls flat, cuz they’ve already thought of the same joke. I’ve given up keeping track of who I’ve told what joke to, but I do try not to overdo the puns.
By design or damage, it’s a case of misapplied intelligence, buzy fuzzy brains with rich internal dialogue. What get’s percolated to the surface and slipped out the spout is occasionally priceless.
I actually pulled the 'Doc, will I be able to play the piano with my cast on?" gag when I was in the ER with a broken leg. I was 11.
And Cornflakes point about being heedless of consequenses ties back to our first point.
Fortunately, It (quickwittedness, not brain damage) does also give you the glibness to make some awesome recoveries, esp. when you work in customer service. ie.
"No, Ma’am, of course not, facetious means straining to be funny, and with me, It’s a gift, What we Can do for you is…
I’m sure if it wasn’t for fear of the ADA/EEOC I would have been fired long ago.
A quick wit is just that: quick. Some people think well on their feet, and some don’t. I’m not sure that it can be learned.
But yes, not stopping to think about the consequences is essential. A lot of my best quips have been things I wouldn’t have said if my mouth weren’t running faster than my brain.
The key to speed is lightness. The secret of my quick wit is having just half of a wit most of the time.
Usually reaching the end of the candle, or having someone blow on it, or pinching it between two wet fingers will make a wick quit . . . what?
It’s weird that when I went to post here it said that my operation had timed out…hmmm.
I agree largely with what ultrafilter said.
I also think it’s a matter of listening and being willing to exist in the moment and opening yourself up instead of talking. Plus it usually takes at least two people that can play off eachother well. That just happens.
I think it helps to have a dry wit, a sort of wry sense of humor. People who say witty things generally aren’t trying to be funny, but are just making comments that others find humorous or amusing. Quick and dry is a deadly combo.
I think I was partly inspired by watching lots of television as a child.
Well, I’ve got a few all-purpose responses pre-loaded in the frontal cortex, ready to go.
And growing up, I was pretty much the smartest kid in the neighborhood, and one of the smallest (I was about 5’6" until my first year of high school) - a combination in my part of the world that almost required constant physical torment. Since I couldn’t defend myself too well with fists (I learned that later), I quickly discovered that people won’t smack you around if they’re laughing.
I have taught myself, sort of. I mean, I’ll never be as quick as some of my friends or my SO, but I’ve certainly improved over the years.
This was well worth emerging from the shadows for.
I have been praised and scolded for this ability as well. For me, the experience seems to be that my brain links two things or ideas together and then spits them out automatically. I never stop to think “I need to respond to this…hmmmm”. My brain simply provides the answer.
And at the risk of seeming full of myself, I do possess an above average IQ, sense of humor and I am well-read. These qualities are where the responses come from.
I believe “quick wit” is a nice way of saying smartass. I think that people with a quick wit are good at making connections between things they’ve read, and seen in TV and movies and the current conversation.
I believe that there was an epigram to the effect that in ancient Rome, the locals would rather lose a friend than the opportunity to make a good quip at someone’s expense.
I think that’s part of the mindset; I’ve noticed that quick-witted folk are also most often those who are pretty widely-read, or travelled, or just plain informed. A lot of material to draw on, if you get my drift.