Meaning & use
comedy bit
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
a short funny performance or routine, especially one part of a longer show
Grammar: Countable: a comedy bit, two comedy bits. Often used with 'do' or 'perform'.
Patterns
- do a comedy bit
- perform a comedy bit
- a comedy bit about something
His comedy bit about airports had the whole audience laughing.
She performed a new comedy bit at the club last night.
The show was mostly songs, with a short comedy bit in the middle.
nouncountableinformal
a funny joke or short humorous act, often repeated by someone
Grammar: Countable and informal; often used for a familiar joke between friends.
Patterns
- a comedy bit
- do a comedy bit
Every time we meet, he does his comedy bit about his old car.
That comedy bit about the broken printer is getting old.
Word forms
| plural | comedy bits |
|---|
Common combinations
- do a comedy bit
- He did a comedy bit about his first job.
- perform a comedy bit
- They performed a comedy bit at the charity event.
- a comedy bit about
- She has a comedy bit about learning to drive.
- a classic comedy bit
- That is a classic comedy bit from the 1980s.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sketch
- A sketch is a short funny scene with actors playing characters; a comedy bit is usually a shorter routine by one performer.
- routine
- A routine is a full set of jokes or actions by a comedian; a bit is just one small part of it.
- gag
- A gag is a single joke; a comedy bit can include several jokes or actions.
Commonly confused: comedy bit or comedy bite?
comedy bit vs comedy bite
Not a real phrase. 'Bit' here means a short performance, not a piece of food.
Practice
The comedian closed the show with a funny ______ about his family.
Choose one answer.
'Comedy bit' is the correct phrase for a short funny routine. 'Comedy bite' sounds similar but is not an English expression; 'beat' and 'bat' are different words with unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “comedy bit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.