different between pleasantry vs jocularity

English

Etymology

From French plaisanterie. Surface etymology is pleasant +? -ry

Noun

pleasantry (countable and uncountable, plural pleasantries)

1. A casual, courteous remark.
2. A playful remark; a jest.
   • 2014, Daniel Taylor, England and Wayne Rooney see off Scotland in their own back yard (in The Guardian, 18 November 2014)[1]

     Charlie Mulgrew could easily have been shown two yellow cards by a stricter referee and amid all the usual Anglo-Scottish pleasantries, the two sets of fans put an awful lot of effort into trying to drown out one another’s national anthems.

3. (dated) Anything that promotes pleasure or merriment.

Usage notes

The word originally meant a joke or witticism. It is now generally used to mean only polite conversation in general (as in the phrase "exchange of pleasantries"), which is sometimes proscribed.

Translations

See also

• small talk

English

Etymology

jocular +? -ity

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?d??kj??l???ti/

Noun

jocularity (countable and uncountable, plural jocularities)

1. Joking, humorous remarks or behaviour.
   • 1791, James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, p. 494,^[1]

     It should seem he had that day been in a humour for jocularity and merriment, and upon such occasions I never knew a man laugh more heartily.

   • 1824, Walter Scott, Redgauntlet, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable & Co., Volume III, Chapter 5, p. 156,^[2]

     […] Cristal Nixon at that moment rode up to them, and said, with an affectation of jocularity which sat very ill upon his sullen features, […]

   • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers, London: Hutchinson, Chapter 74,

     All were armed with pistols, and there was a small armoury of rifles against a wall. “Guns,” I said with fearful jocularity, “in a holy place?”

   • 1989, Jack Vance, Madouc, Chapter Four,

     Madouc was neither pleased nor impressed by Prince Bittern’s mannerisms, and remained pointedly unresponsive to his lame jocularities.

Translations

Synonyms

• jokefulness