Literary notes about titter (AI summary)
In literature, “titter” is used to evoke a restrained, furtive laugh that hints at a character’s inner amusement, irony, or even discomfort. It often appears at moments when propriety or the gravity of the situation demands control, yet human nature subtly betrays itself—a quiet, almost imperceptible burst that disrupts a formal setting, as seen when a titter ripples through a courtroom [1] or a schoolroom [2]. Authors also employ the word to underscore the social dynamics of a scene, where a suppressed laugh may serve as a marker of shared complicity or a gentle rebellion against decorum [3, 4]. In such instances, the titter becomes a literary tool that, by its very modesty, amplifies the gap between public solemnity and private reaction.
- Here Nat Wheeler slapped his knee with a loud guffaw, and a titter ran through the courtroom.
— from One of Ours by Willa Cather - Indeed, while the master was making this oration, there was a general titter behind him in the schoolroom.
— from Boys and Girls from Thackeray by Kate Dickinson Sweetser - A titter ran through the house, and I felt that my career as an actress was ruined forever.
— from Heroines of the Modern Stage by Forrest Izard - The curtain went down on a titter and some groans.
— from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
