făcētĭa, ae, f. [facetus; cf.: argutiae, deliciae], 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.