Next to being witty, the best thing is being able to quote another’s wit.

Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) was an American writer best known for compiling aphorisms and observations on character, conversation, and social life. The remark reflects a 19th‑century culture in which “wit” was a prized social currency in salons, lectures, and print, and where educated speakers often displayed learning through apt quotation. Bovee’s work frequently comments on the mechanics of talk—how people gain influence, charm, or authority in company—so the line fits his broader interest in the social uses of language and the way borrowed brilliance can function as a kind of secondary talent.

The saying ranks abilities in conversation: the highest is to be genuinely witty, but a close second is to recognize wit in others and reproduce it effectively. Bovee implies that taste, memory, timing, and discernment are themselves forms of intelligence; quoting well is not mere imitation but a skill that keeps good ideas circulating. At the same time, the line gently satirizes social performance: many people cannot originate sparkling remarks, yet they can still appear clever by borrowing. The aphorism thus praises quotation as cultural transmission while acknowledging its role as a socially acceptable substitute for originality.