quick wit; ready wit
Refers to the ability to think quickly and cleverly, often in a playful or humorous way. Commonly associated with the witty responses of the historical figure Ikkyū.
He's quick-witted, so he can answer any question right away.
一休さんのとんち話は子供たちに人気がある。
Stories about Ikkyū's cleverness are popular with children.
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 頓知 and 頓智 are rare.
Rare kanji spelling; 智 is a variant of 知, but the word is normally written in kana.
Rare kanji spelling; 頓 means 'sudden' and 知 means 'wisdom', but the word is normally written in kana.
The exact origin is uncertain. The kanji 頓 (sudden) and 知 (wisdom) suggest 'sudden wisdom', but the word is usually written in kana. It may have developed from the idea of a quick, intuitive flash of insight.