Over 3,000 UK comedy fans were asked by digital TV channel Dave to name their favourite British wit and, thanks in the main to his acerbic put-downs of fellow pop stars, Oasis frontman Liam surged into 10th place.

Liam’s finest quips include a withering dismissal of the talents of Victoria Beckham who he memorably claimed couldn’t “chew gum and walk in a straight line, let alone write a book”. When asked about Oasis’ attempts to break America, he once explained “Americans want grungy people. They get a bright bunch like us with deodorant on and they don’t get it”.

Nothing to declare but their genius

Perhaps inevitably, Oscar Wilde topped the Brit wit list. The Dublin-born playwright’s finest quips remain regularly quoted today. His most memorable maxims include “anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination” and “the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about”. Wilde even had energy to summon up a final one-liner on his death-bed remarking “either those curtains go or I do”.

Two other contemporary wits joined Liam and Oscar in the Top 10. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson accelerated into fourth spot while TV funnyman Paul Merton claimed sixth place. Motormouth Clarkson once derided small cars explaining “we all know they’re good for us. But so is cod liver oil. And jogging. I want to drive around in a Terminator”.

The sporting world was also represented on the wit list thanks to the inclusion of legendary football manager Brian Clough. The former Nottingham Forest boss’ quotes so regularly appeared on television and newspapers that he was once challenged to a verbal joust by Muhammad Ali. Always certain of his own ability, Clough once remarked “I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business, but I was definitely in the top one”.