so i was playing out a probable conversation in my head and found that i lacked a word to finish a sentence as i wished. so the relevant part of the conversation goes like this:

"do i strike you as the kind of person who...[blah blah blah]?"

"no, but if you did, id hit back"

"ahhhhhh, so youre a __________, very nice"

now... the blank above is the word im looking for...
what is a person called when they like to play off words, or use their unintended meaning to make a witty comment, and/or someone who enjoys and is proficient at semantic arguments, someone who demonstrates proficience at wordplay, etc...

im sure ive never heard the word, but i know theres one out there, and would love to know it

Literalist?

*I'd* just cut the "but if," the entire last line, and change "hit" to "strike," then send the gag to Groucho

well, yes, i guess literalist would be the most apt word given the context, but im looking for something that more describes the love of wordplay, almost the opposite of a literalist... almost..

gag? groucho?

>>groucho<<

"do i strike you as the kind of person who ___?"

"if you did, id strike you back"

I should have added a ;) -- No slight intended.

How about
"ahhhhhh, so youre a pundit, very nice"

good, but something a more connotatively associated with words

Welcome aBoard, is; tell us, do you suffer from your insanity?

Here might be one term; it's from tsuwm's wwftd:
logolept
/LO-go-lept/ a word maniac; verbivore, logophile

Logophile is slightly more common (ahem); here's the Dictionary.com def.:
Main Entry: logophile
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a word lover or word buff
Etymology: Greek logos `speech' + -phile `friend, lover'
Usage: formal

Ooh--I found me in wwftd:
logastellus
"a person whose enthusiasm for words outstrips his knowledge of them" - John McClellan

Jackie, you're headed back in the direction of words, but on a tangent away from wordplay.

here's an obscure word which might get back..
parisologist - one who deliberately uses ambiguous or equivocal words

still not quite there?

or you could nounify this adjective:

paronomastic - characterized by paronomasia, punning

Paragrammatist?

I've got it! The you want is "Punster"! [source: OED].

No?

Ok, you could coin a noun by adding the suffix -er or -ist to "repartee" (conversation characterized by quick witty comments or replies); or even -ee! as in employEE! Yes, that would give you a "reparteeee"!

What, "wit" is too bland?

i do not suffer from insanity, my master does...
logophile... i like that.. it could work if nothing else better comes along...

Or calembouriste.

Paronomasiast?