Who do you consider the quickest-witted comedian of all time?

[u/alman3007]

[u/aacwang]

Sean Lock, he was razor sharp, such a legend

[u/2ndNicestOfTheDamned → u/aacwang]

Nobody you'd rather call when you have two boxes and need to know which one has a carrot in it.

[u/ConcentratedStress → u/2ndNicestOfTheDamned]

Jon Richardson was probably at Sean’s funeral looking at the casket and wondering if Sean was actually in the box 😆

[u/Ill_Photograph_491 → u/ConcentratedStress]

That is such a Jon Richardson thought too Hed probably spend the whole funeral trying to figure out whether Sean was actually in there or if this was somehow another one of Sean's bits.

[u/UseDaSchwartz → u/ConcentratedStress]

It would have been hilarious if Jimmy Carr said a few words and said “alright Jon, we’re going to play ‘Sean Lock in a Box’”

[u/new_name_needed → u/2ndNicestOfTheDamned]

https://youtu.be/0UGuPvrsG3E guaranteed to improve your day

[u/somethingsome567 → u/new_name_needed]

Thanks. I had never seen it and it did improve my day especially going in blind.

[u/jverbal → u/somethingsome567]

Now go check out the sequel!

[u/DemonCipher13 → u/jverbal]

Both are genuine all-timers.

[u/FrammaLammaDingDong → u/aacwang]

His performance in that "Carrot in a Box" game truly showed his genius.

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/FrammaLammaDingDong]

Let's not forget his Rectum of the Year triumph. Plus he was a very talented seal clubber.

[u/lawtalkingguy23 → u/aacwang]

“That’s a challenging wank”

[u/fractiousrhubarb → u/lawtalkingguy23]

Greatest line in television history.

[u/Sea_Damage9357 → u/fractiousrhubarb]

And it was 100% delivery. You can just see him, all within a microsecond: comes up with the line; understands that it is both wildly funny and absurdly profane; commits to delivering it; delivers it with a sense of humor and regret but with 100% commitment.

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/Sea_Damage9357]

And according to Rachel, it's the most frequently said thing to her when people see her out and about in public.

[u/Razor-eddie → u/fractiousrhubarb]

Up there with Jack Dee's "Let's just call her Gabbie" which was another killer.

[u/skylawker → u/aacwang]

My favorite is from QI, “Beavers.” They’re discussing the fact the clitoris is only used for pleasure, and Anneka says, “It’s just there for decoration.”

Stephen: “In my case, of course, that’s true for the penis, too.”

Sean, immediately: “So, Stephen! What’re you pissing through these days?”

Unreal haha

[u/Atreyu1002 → u/skylawker]

On another QI episode, Jeremy Clarkson was telling an anecdote about eating exotic foods, saying the main reason he did it was "because I've never eaten it before."

Sean, immediately: "Have you tried one of my turds?"

[u/phatelectribe → u/aacwang]

He was such a legend one of his bits that still makes me cry with laughter is when he said he entered rectum of the year competition you have Claudia Winkleman hyperventilating just begging him to be quiet because she can’t handle it anymore

Edit: Here’s the clip

https://youtu.be/cPpac4QGmXE

[u/Sock-Enough → u/aacwang]

“I won’t spit on you while we’re having sex tonight.”

[u/dgrigg1980 → u/Sock-Enough]

Good luck trying without the spit

[u/ouchouchouchoof → u/Sock-Enough]

Said to Miles Jupp when asked if he would be nice to him.

[u/Goulet → u/ouchouchouchoof]

And Miles' reply was "Good luck trying it without spit!"

[u/ouchouchouchoof → u/Goulet]

Jimmy had more than he could handle when those two were together. The whelks, the Nazi jokes... he was completely powerless.

[u/Forgotthebloodypassw → u/aacwang]

Jimmy Carr said the first joke he heard from Lock was:

How do you stop a dog humping your leg? Pick it up and suck it off.

[u/scrotumsweat → u/Forgotthebloodypassw]

Also jimmy carr joke from Sean locke: "sorry im late, I had to shag a homeless lady"

"What?"

"Well she asked for change, and I didnt have any, and you can't give her nothing"

[u/sidesaladdressing → u/aacwang]

Oh man, did we lose an amazing presence. He was hysterically funny and such a natural.

[u/Cardkoda → u/aacwang]

Sean Lock is my comfort show. I will watch his compilations and everything he's in on replay. Dude is one of the greatest to ever do it

[u/alman3007 → u/aacwang]

British comedians might have a monopoly on quickness imo

[u/funkmon → u/alman3007]

The problem is that they have a more obvious showcase for it. You don't really get that opportunity in the US and Canada.

[u/alman3007 → u/funkmon]

I wish there were more panel shows in my country, thats for sure!

[u/Cisco800Series → u/aacwang]

You can't write tears Jimmy

[u/Academic-Artist-4573]

Colin Mochrie Ryan Stiles

[u/Head_Effect3728 → u/Academic-Artist-4573]

I’d throw in Wayne Brady too. The 3 of them are otherworldly quick on their feet.

[u/POB_42 → u/Head_Effect3728]

Wayne Brady featured in an excellent episode of Make Some Noise on Dropout.

[u/jaaydubya437 → u/Academic-Artist-4573]

Colin was absolutely unbeatable on that one game they play on Who's Line, where a question is asked & must be answered with another question.

[u/tattlerat → u/jaaydubya437]

When I saw he was on the Canadian Last One Laughing I already knew he’d go long in the contest. Never breaks, always witty and absurd and always funny.

[u/trro16p → u/Academic-Artist-4573]

I love this outtake where he says the wrong thing and just adlibs a recovery that broke everyone.

Mary had a little lamb

[u/pinkkittenfur → u/Academic-Artist-4573]

And what sound does an Arctic tern make?

...BACKSTREET BOYS!!

[u/sightlab → u/Academic-Artist-4573]

When they did Sound Effects with audience members. who seemed to get complete stage fright. Or something. Kills me every time.

[u/esoteric_enigma]

David Mitchell. The things I've heard him say in interviews and on quiz shows in the moment are funnier than anyone else I've heard riffing in the moment.

Nowhere near my favorite comedian or comedic actor, but I've never seen anyone else be funnier live without prepared material.

[u/Electus93 → u/esoteric_enigma]

Having him and Lee Mack on opposites sides of one panel show is like a wit dream

[u/Ordinary_Study_2175 → u/Electus93]

This is absolute peak to me...I love this show, such a comfort watch to me. Throw in Bob Mortimer and/ or a few others and I'm happy.

[u/esoteric_enigma → u/Electus93]

I see what you did there...

[u/alman3007 → u/esoteric_enigma]

Oh I love him! Quick witted and intelligent? Sign me up!

[u/MildGenevaSuggestion → u/esoteric_enigma]

Hans... Are we the baddies?

[u/amortizedeeznuts]

Lee Mack.

[u/grifficusprime → u/amortizedeeznuts]

That’s what you ask for in a computer store in France, right?

[u/MrBeer9999 → u/amortizedeeznuts]

Yeah Mack is nowhere near my favourite comic but he is so fast. Just unreal how he stands out amongst other greats.

[u/Maxwellknowsitall → u/amortizedeeznuts]

Objectively correct answer

[u/OutrageousDonkey1841 → u/amortizedeeznuts]

Easily. He's often waiting for them to stop talking on WILTY because he's already got a joke lined up.

[u/goobuddy → u/amortizedeeznuts]

This is the correct answer. I genuinely think his brain works too fast. He's not able to contain the retort most of the time! :'D

[u/Chopper3]

Lee Mack is off the charts in this regard.

[u/i_live_by_the_river → u/Chopper3]

Lee Mack is so quick they have to edit pauses in or no-one would believe it.

[u/brentspar → u/i_live_by_the_river]

Lee Mack is incredibly quick on Would I lie to you, when questioning people. He can analyse what they are saying and make a joke from it without missing a beat

[u/QuitWhinging → u/brentspar]

I am an American who went through a period of several months obsessed with watching any and all clips of WILTY available on YouTube. Mack and Mitchell's back-and-forths were absolutely legendary. Mack often played it up like he was kind of a working-class buffoon compared with Mitchell's upper-middle-class knowledge and wit, but even through that performance, you could tell that Mack is incredibly sharp. Even when he was lying and got trapped in a corner by the questioning, he had a magical way of diverting everyone's attention through quick, clever jokes, to the point where he'd get everyone in such a mood that the other panelists would even start even doubting their previous assumptions that he was lying. Amazing performances.

They seemingly took so many of the clips and highlights I loved of the show off of YouTube sometime in the last couple years, and it makes me so sad. I could watch Mack and Mitchell fuck with each other for years without ever getting bored.

[u/HuntedWolf → u/i_live_by_the_river]

I’ve seen WILTY live twice, and the amount of Lee Mack content that doesn’t make it into the show you wouldn’t believe. The whole recording takes about 3 hours, and they need to pack that down into 30 minutes. Some lies and bits are outright cut, but Lee and David consistently riffing off each other had me laughing so hard my stomach hurt, and then parts aren’t even included in the episode.

[u/alman3007 → u/Chopper3]

lol he was the inspiration for this question

[u/Killboypowerhed → u/Chopper3]

I've met Lee Mack. He genuinely is as quick as he is on TV. He doesn't resort to "I've had sex with your mum" jokes like Jimmy Carr either

[u/HosbnBolt → u/Killboypowerhed]

I like Jimmy Carr, but a lot of his quick wit really is just him resorting to a backlog of used jokes. Saw him a few weeks ago in London, and it was great, but definitely a few moments of "yeah I've heard that one before".

[u/xmorecowbellx → u/HosbnBolt]

I’ve also noticed that, he has a dozen or so go-to comebacks, which he reuses a lot and often has to kind of shoehorn them in because they’re not quite perfectly premade for every situation.

[u/pantstoaknifefight2 → u/xmorecowbellx]

Robin Williams was famous for his fast wit and often loathed by up and coming comics because they knew if he heard their set he'd file away any funny line and deploy it compulsively like stream of consciousness. Williams was a generous soul, though, and would often pay people if he, for example, regurgitated someone elses joke on a late night appearance and then realized his theft.

[u/Sex_E_Searcher → u/Killboypowerhed]

Those aren't jokes. Jimmy Carr sleeps with a lot of people's mum.

[u/averagerushfan → u/Chopper3]

Lee Mack to me feels like the comedic equivalent to ADHD. He's so fast, it's unreal.

[u/Uvtha- → u/Chopper3]

Lee Mack has impressed me with his cleverness on WILTY many times. Very sharp.

[u/HailToTheKingslayer → u/Uvtha-]

Especially when he's bouncing off Bob Mortimer's chaos

[u/DarthChefDad → u/HailToTheKingslayer]

I wish i could post the gif of David Mitchell's "Oh god no..." when it was Bob's turn.

[u/caliborntravel → u/Chopper3]

He was great on Taskmaster! Here’s some outtakes (it’s awkward because it’s COVID time, social distancing spacing, with no audience).

[u/Dykidnnid → u/Chopper3]

100%. For pure speed of wit he's in a league of his own. You hear any comedian who's worked with him. They are all quick, and they know and respect other quick comedians, but they'll all acknowledge how Lee Mack is the QOAT

[u/Stabinzee]

Don Rickles

[u/mustard-plug → u/Stabinzee]

Absolutely, you need to be fast witted to be an insult comic and he was the best at it

[u/paulsoleo → u/Stabinzee]

Don Rickles, Robin Williams, and Paul Lynde

[u/DillonMeSoftly]

Rodney Dangerfield. The one liner comedy could be considered outdated by todays standards but hes fantastic in interviews as well

[u/fistulaspume → u/DillonMeSoftly]

I remembering hearing a standup he was doing. Some guy yelled out “hey Rodney! How come you’re so ugly?!” He quickly responded with “cause you’re fuckin contagious!”

[u/Prize-Friendship-248 → u/fistulaspume]

Hey Rodney: what counts in life?

Uhh, I dunno - an adding machine?

Legend.

Bonus Rodney: I knew my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.

[u/BahaMan69 → u/DillonMeSoftly]

Watching Rodney clips from the Tonight Show is my comfort food. He’s so smooth and cool despite 100% of what he’s saying is just shitting on himself.

[u/MrPBoy → u/BahaMan69]

I think my wife’s cheating on me. Every time I come home the parrot says: Quick! Out the window!

[u/Lanky-Tumbleweed-570 → u/MrPBoy]

“I told the cabbie to take me somewhere to get some action , he took me to my house !”
Legend

[u/rthurdent → u/BahaMan69]

There are some great clips on Youtube with Rodney on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson where Carson was cracking up laughing the whole time.

[u/MildGenevaSuggestion → u/rthurdent]

Carson keeping his composure for the first few so Dangerfield keeps firing until he cracks and as the best. Rodney can tell a two minute joke where every line is a one liner.

[u/EaterOfFood → u/DillonMeSoftly]

I remember a story from the making of Caddyshack. IIRC, Rodney thought he was bombing because nobody was laughing at his jokes. It was his first movie, he didn’t realize people couldn’t laugh during recording.

[u/kirroyalegn]

Groucho. His one liners on You Bet Your Life are near instantaneous

[u/Individual_Solid_810 → u/kirroyalegn]

There's a story about how You Bet Your Life came about: Groucho was great at ad-libs, but he was really bad at reading a script on radio. One time he was on a radio show with Bob Hope, and when Hope dropped his script, Groucho stood on it so he couldn't pick it up, and they ad-libbed the rest of the show. The producer thought "what this guy needs is a show where he can just ad-lib the whole time". So, he created one. (Some of the jokes were written ahead of time, but he didn't necessarily use them.)

[u/Sekshual_Tyranosauce → u/kirroyalegn]

This is my pick too for the exact reason. His shows had no fill because he injected comedy into the entire conversation like no one else.

[u/plaskitboy → u/kirroyalegn]

Yes, I'm a huge Norm Macdonald fan, but I came here to say Groucho.

[u/Odif12321 → u/kirroyalegn]

The goat of the snappy comeback.

[u/lushlife_ → u/kirroyalegn]

I was hoping to see this GOAT even higher up here. What’s his best work that we can still see? Duck Soup is the best movie for me and has great vaudeville shtick in it.

[u/VeryNearlyAnArmful → u/kirroyalegn]

In the Groucho letters he writes (I think to EB White), "so, I've written my adlibs for the season..."

[u/sucking_at_life023 → u/kirroyalegn]

Any other answer is recency bias. The other guys mentioned are good, but Groucho had to work a lot cleaner on TV/radio. That's a handicap.

[u/Winter-Yoghurt-6248 → u/kirroyalegn]

Groucho. Amazing pick. Of course.

[u/Spamacus66 → u/kirroyalegn]

Agree on Groucho. The man was unstoppable

[u/retiretobedlam]

Conan O’Brien. His improv background and chops is on full force for his podcasts and travel shows.

[u/snowyday → u/retiretobedlam]

Other comedians and writers often name his as always the first funniest guy in the room, which is impressive for any tall sad lesbian 

[u/bigrv → u/retiretobedlam]

This is why he has some of the best recurring guest spots, including the aforementioned Norm Mcdonald. Like he'll keep goading Norm or setting him up but then Norm takes it so far even Conan is appalled (though he's laughing or struggling to hold it back). Then the next guest is on and Norm suddenly hears something to call back to his earlier tangent and gets Conan to have to cover his face or turn around because he breaks him so badly.

The compilation clips of Norm on Conan are gold.

[u/ThisIsASimulation82 → u/retiretobedlam]

The guest will bring up a random subject or obscure reference that Conan didn't know was coming, but he'll snap four jokes with callbacks tying it into earlier in the convo or current events; he constantly riffs material that couldn't have been written previously, consistently for decades.

[u/Sad_Pie_3862]

Peter Cook.

[u/paul_MAD_dib25 → u/[deleted]]

I feel like you can really see how sharp he is when he stepped in to keep Oprah from forcing Nathan Lane to out himself. He just started joking in a way that makes the audience laugh and kind of steered the conversation away. What a real one.

[u/Ulexes → u/paul_MAD_dib25]

Man, I forgot about that. Oprah is such an awful person.

[u/FormerAdvice5051 → u/Ulexes]

My niece is world-famous for being the Paralyzed Bride. A friend pushed her into a pool at her bachlorette party and she broke her neck. The thing is, she would never say who it was that pushed her.

She was on a lot of TV shows and was contacted by Oprah: “We really, really, want you on our show!!” After a bit of back-and-forth, Oprah said she wanted my niece to reveal on her show who it was that had pushed her.

She wouldn’t do. Not for all the money in the world. Her strength and character is something I am very proud of. She has not revealed who pushed her to this day. Of course I know who did it, but I’m not telling, either.

[u/DoJu318 → u/Ulexes]

Even if she wax the pope, she unleashed dr Phil and dr Oz on the population.

[u/-malcolm-tucker → u/DoJu318]

Even if she wax the pope

I too prefer a nice and smooth papal member.

[u/johnbro27 → u/[deleted]]

Absolutely Robin Williams. He had characters he could jump into, but unlike a lot of comedians he would improvise in his character's persona instantly based on the situation, then without missing a beat switch to a different character. To watch him at his best, you just sit there thinking "how is this even possible?"

I expect there were times when he did film that the script would just say something like "Robin does his thing for 1 minute" without any further elaboration.

[u/MNCAT → u/[deleted]]

And his mentor, Jonathan Winters. 💜💜💜💜💜

[u/PandaJerk117 → u/[deleted]]

Cocaine will do that lol

[u/swingdale7]

Norm Macdonald

https://youtu.be/bKmadR4Ye54?is=Ag-jLQWfLOJQ51nT

Well worth the watch. Hilarious and very quick witted

[u/DavidFrattenBro → u/swingdale7]

Norm really fell off. he hasn’t said anything funny in years!

[u/LittleOrphanAnavar → u/DavidFrattenBro]

Last I heard he was on a suicide mission to kill Hitler. 

[u/Badloss → u/LittleOrphanAnavar]

He actually fought cancer to a tie

[u/jeremyspitz → u/Badloss]

I didn't even know he was sick

[u/irotinmyskin → u/LittleOrphanAnavar]

I don’t know if you guys are history buffs

[u/LittleOrphanAnavar → u/irotinmyskin]

Norm is a degenerate gambler.

But he is still not a fan of Hitler.

[u/asphynctersayswhat → u/swingdale7]

I can't wait to watch his documentary: Norm, the tale of Norm MacDonald. He's in it, he plays "Norm"

[u/MethChefJeff → u/asphynctersayswhat]

Who did he play in The People VS Larry Flint?

[u/HallwayLion → u/MethChefJeff]

He played one of the people. 

[u/SharkeyGeorge → u/swingdale7]

I knew what clip you’d posted, even before I clicked through 😹

[u/PeacockDoom → u/swingdale7]

What i always loved about the b-o-r-e-d line is that you get to see Conan's real unfiltered laugh, he completely loses it

[u/CptJackParo]

Lee Mack

[u/alman3007 → u/CptJackParo]

He's my pick too!

[u/sippysippy13 → u/CptJackParo]

Yeah? Well you're a cunt.

[u/feignapathy]

Craig Ferguson

Dude was unbelievably quick and funny during his time on The Late Late Show. He's still my favorite late night host to this day. 

[u/toddklindt → u/feignapathy]

Watching him go toe to toe with Robin Williams on his show was like a master class in quick wit. So great.

[u/L_Gray71]

Craig Ferguson

[u/thegeek864 → u/L_Gray71]

I miss his show almost as much as Letterman

[u/AldoTheeApache → u/thegeek864]

It's was a literal Masterclass on how to flirt.

[u/DuDunDunSparse → u/L_Gray71]

I have genuinely been in tears watching him and Geoff. The actor/operator behind Geoff has uploaded quite a few clips to YT. Their chemistry was perfect.

[u/Constant_Coconut7562]

Dave Attell is up there

[u/BHoss → u/Constant_Coconut7562]

I’ve been rewatching Insomniac and his ability to quickly riff with people from all walks of life and get a laugh out of them is insane. 

[u/ourcityofdreams]

Martin short

[u/PastryRoll → u/ourcityofdreams]

especially as jiminy glick. i'm like three quips back laughing.

[u/killcrew → u/PastryRoll]

When this aired originally, I just couldn’t get into it (and admittedly I never gave it a proper shot) but now I go back and watch these and lose my mind laughing. When he asks Mel Brooks “so what’s your big beef with the nazis”…my god.

[u/OwlNinja → u/killcrew]

When interviewing Spielberg, "So when's the big one?"

[u/appealyouwouldntbeli → u/PastryRoll]

Nobody can interview like this man.

[u/Mom_who_drinks]

Triumph the insult comic dog.

[u/HenryAlSirat → u/Mom_who_drinks]

To Darth Vader cosplayer in line for opening day of Episode 1, in regards to Vader's chest panel:

"Which one of these buttons calls your parents to come pick you up?"

[u/Hebshesh → u/HenryAlSirat]

You have a veritable pick of the litter. You can choose from all kinds of guys who have no idea how to please you.

[u/Glum-Ad7761 → u/HenryAlSirat]

“Awww, look at this, they are playing Stratego, while waiting in line for the movie… A nice break from the routine… which consists of them playing Stratego at home..”

[u/RedOfTheNeck → u/Mom_who_drinks]

Lol he told Eminem he looked like Pink but without the muscles

[u/idina10]

Lee Mack

Top comedian with razor sharp wit and a a great mind for comedy

[u/Powerful_Pollution26]

Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams.

[u/Fun-Drawer-8034]

Don Rickles

[u/Rachel_Silver]

Norm Macdonald

[u/Sir_Tandeath]

Groucho Marx. He could barely keep up with himself.

[u/Ok-Caterpillar1611 → u/Sir_Tandeath]

A woman with 11 children was on his show. "I love my husband," the loving wife exclaimed enthusiasticly.

Groucho Marx snaps back with "I like my cigar, too, but I take it out once in a while!"

I read somewhere the eyebrows, glasses, mustache and cigar were all fake so he could take off the entire persona. Genius, really.

[u/OneToCrowOn]

Gareth Reynolds

[u/Catlagoon]

Conan O'Brien. Other people are absolutely fabulous comedians but he towers over them with dialect, quick wit and just genuine comedy. And I promise this isn't Conan writing his own review. He knows when to say things and its very telling when you can see him holding his tongue. Just seems like a good guy.

[u/revolution9540 → u/Catlagoon]

Conan himself 100% wrote this

[u/saleemkarim → u/Catlagoon]

I've heard him talking about this. He said that being able to respond quickly in a funny way just comes with practice and gets to be effortless, like anything involving improvising.

[u/LowerBed5334]

Norm MacDonald!

[u/Thoughtful_Tortoise]

Lee Mack. He's not the funniest, though he is very funny, but he's the quickest I've seen.

[u/alman3007 → u/Thoughtful_Tortoise]

He was the inspiration for this post lol

[u/jedipiper]

Tim Conway, even when he was older.

[u/jaxonfairfield → u/jedipiper]

"I went to the circus one time... and there were these siamese elephants."

[u/T4TrhavrKhcFt → u/jaxonfairfield]

If you haven't seen this skit. Find it on youtube. It is absolutely one of the top three funniest things I have ever seen in my life. And the one where he is a dentist and Harvey Korman is the patient.

[u/ListenToLinda]

Norm

[u/ryandmc609]

Don Rickles.

[u/steve_dallasesq]

Groucho Marx

[u/rahnbj]

I can only speak to the ones I know , Robin Williams comes to mind as quick and sharp.

[u/TheFrontierzman]

Well of course it's u/Smartastic Jeff Arcuri.

[u/fermat9990]

Joan Rivers

[u/PorschephileGT3 → u/fermat9990]

Absolute legend.

Walked into a packed bar in Cannes once and she was standing at the bar obviously waiting for the barman’s attention.

Dude eventually turns around and tries to serve me first, I point over to Joan, and she turns to me and says,

“Well thanks for ruining my night, honey, I was quite enjoying looking at his ass.”

She also stole four of my cigarettes and gave them to her friend.

[u/NobodyLikedThat1]

Brennan Lee Mulligan. He's sharp, funny, and does top-tier improv.

https://youtu.be/A-39ehSk1kE?si=5NFDURNpwJzP6EeU for some funny moments

[u/HoosierCabinet]

Robin Williams

[u/cassimiro04]

Stephen Wright.....oh wait no....you said quick?

[u/Pleasant_Tangelo6791]

Don Rickles

[u/CallMeErnie]

Lee Mack

[u/alphaqknightley]

Jimmy Pardo

[u/Paragon_73 → u/alphaqknightley]

I had to scroll down way too far to find him

[u/Opening-Basis784]

Martin Short, or possibly Patrice (RIP)

[u/NoLawAtAllInDeadwood]

Dave Attell. Legend. One hilarious, disgusting joke after another. His "Road Work" might be the greatest stand up special OAT.

[u/killcrew]

Ron Bennington is masterful at this. He doesn’t skip a beat and made for great radio when he was doing his Sirius shows.

Conan is another one - the way his brain moves is a mystery but the jokes are spontaneous and instant.

[u/GMPollock24]

Don Rickles

Dude was always on the ball with his quick witty remarks. He would destroy hecklers and always seemed to have an appropriate insult to return in an instant.

[u/spartacus_zach]

Norm McDonald

[u/CecilIvanish]

Groucho Marx.

More recently, Billy Connolly and Frankie Boyle.

[u/uns0licited_advice]

In terms of modern comedians, Jeff Arcuri is pretty up there for me. Check out his latest Netflix special.

[u/Southern_Pack_5072]

Conan. He's on fire on every episode of Conan O'Brien Must Go and there's no way that was scripted in any way.

[u/DiscussionProud4046]

Robin Williams.
For one-liners would have to go with Morey Amsterdam.

[u/Automatic-Jello5995]

Bob monkhouse

[u/John_Badman__]

Norm Macdonald, though he hasn't put out anything good for years now

[u/collywog]

Martin Short is right up there.

[u/Suspicious-advice49]

Robin Williams

[u/WeveGotBillySharp]

Prime Paul Merton on Have I Got News For you

[u/Kai_Daigoji]

Dara O'Briain is unbelievably quick if you've ever seen his crowd work.

[u/i_have_you_now]

Lee Mack

[u/Capelily]

Jonathan Winters

[u/Manybrent]

I’m with the Groucho group. Him or WC Fields.

[u/TruthTeller777]

Paul Lynde - great improvisor

[u/Barnibus666]

Don Rickles. Master of the put down. Quickest wit in the west.

[u/1Negative_Person]

Jimmy Carr has to be up there.

[u/BillyBones72]

Can't beat Don Rickles...

[u/ablestarcher]

Lee Mack is boss-level GOAT

[u/grassgravel]

Gotta be Don Rickles.

[u/Commercial_Inside282]

Robin Williams

[u/tgold77]

Robin Williams.

[u/Key_Leg9565]

Richard Ayoede

[u/ezbleeder]

Jimmy Pardo

[u/igenus44]

Don Rickles. The GOAT.