persiflage

1. Light, playful conversation or writing, often involving teasing or witty remarks.

   synonyms:banterbadinage

2. A frivolous or flippant way of discussing a subject, sometimes with an element of mockery.

   synonyms:flippancymockery

Borrowed into English from French in the mid-18th century. It comes from the French verb 'persifler', meaning 'to banter', formed with the intensive prefix 'per-' and 'siffler', meaning 'to whistle' or 'to hiss'.

A formal word for informal behavior: use it to describe playful exchanges, teasing conversation, or a flippant treatment of a topic. It is not a specialized legal, medical, or scientific term.

An editorial estimate rather than a measured frequency statistic: dictionaries label the word formal, making it a less natural everyday choice than 'banter' or 'teasing'.

The siblings exchanged a little persiflage about each other's cooking before sitting down to dinner.

The novel's lively dialogue is full of persiflage, with old friends trading affectionate jokes.

The interviewer wanted a serious answer, but the actor responded with persiflage instead.

Persiflage is banter wearing a fancy hat: light, playful talk with room for a teasing remark. It reached English from French in the mid-18th century, with roots connected to whistling or hissing. Despite its elegant sound, it is not always entirely friendly; it can also describe a flippant or mocking approach to a subject. Think of it as a formal label for conversation that refuses to put on a serious face.