Witticism, n.
Etymology: [From Witty.]
A witty saying; a sentence or phrase which is affectedly witty; an attempt at wit; a conceit. Milton. He is full of conceptions, points of epigram, and witticisms; all which are below the dignity of heroic verse. Addison.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for witticism; he lists it under wit.
He lists it without comment; the entries above explain its neighbors.