witticaster means an inferior or pretended wit. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “witticaster” is a great word
A pretentious and inferior imitator of true wit, whose attempts at humor are strained, obvious, and painfully contrived. From witty (possessing or showing wit) + the pejorative suffix -aster (denoting inferiority or pretense), formed by analogy with criticaster (an inferior critic). Unlike the true wit, whose humor is a genuine and inventive spark, or the mere witling, a trivial and foolish dabbler, the witticaster is defined by a counterfeit ambition. He is the sound of a pun falling like a lead balloon into polite silence, the sight of a smirk curdling as its own cleverness is reflected back unlaughed, the particular chill of a room where every attempt at levity only thickens the air—the hollow performer whose stage is always, and only, his own vanity.
Etymology
From witty + -aster, by analogy to criticaster.
noun
- An inferior or pretended wit.