“Aperçu” is based on the French word for “perceiving,” and in English, an aperçu is a witty or entertaining turn of phrase. More specifically, it offers a different perception of a situation, or gives an amusing viewpoint on life. For example, American writer Dorothy Parker was famous for her surprising wit. She is remembered for aperćus such as, “There’s a hell of a distance between wisecracking and wit. Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words.”