Calling things their actual name is always okay.
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Okay, as the community liason I’m going to intervene and request, dear @timryder, that you explain to these nice folks WHY “skit” is such a hated term amongst sketch people.
Teach a person to fish, etc. 
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See, Tim, this is what happens when you’re a nice engaging person. Nobody ever asks me to explain anything, it’s so great.
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But what’s wrong with the word “skit”?
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I for one do not understand why the term in question makes people skittish 
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He brings it on himself!
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He really does!
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AND he’s hilariously amazing, too!
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Tim is writing a sketch right now to explain the difference.
(Oh my god, he is actually writing a sketch! I was joking!)
Tim, stop! You don’t have to do this! We already like you!
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I agree. He is hilariously.
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Oh, that’s fair!
To the layperson, the terms are interchangeable. They both refer to short, scripted, standalone pieces of performed comedy.
However, to those who have trained in or performed sketch or improvisational comedy, the term “skit” has a (unintentionally, to be sure) pejorative context. It implies an amateurish, unprofessional bent to the entire affair.
I’m not entirely sure why this is. But everyone in the sketch community feels it. I think it comes from people saying things like, “Oh, you should put this in one of your little skits!” Seriously, the word “skit” is so often preceded by the word “little,” it’s no wonder it makes performers twitch.
Put simply, sketches are written and performed by skilled, professional performers at theaters like Second City and The Groundlings. Skits are performed at church camp around a bonfire.
I hate to quote Aaron Sorkin and I hate even more to quote Studio 60, but he made a decent point when he wrote, “Skits are when the football players dress up like cheerleaders and call it wit.”
And that’s why! Hope that clears things up.
rainbow gif
The More You Know!
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It’s why you can take a sketch class and not a skit class.
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TYSM
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This is a fantastic explanation, thank you Tim!
My first ever sketch writing class began with the instructor making an impassioned plea that we never, ever, ever use the word “skit” outside of a summer camp. I don’t want to speak for the whole class, but it left me so terrified of using the word that I think this is the first time I’ve even typed it since.
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Thanks for the explanation, because I’m sure that I have used it and been inadvertently making people twitchy. I usually only like to make people twitchy on purpose.
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Am I the only one who says the word “skit”, and didn’t have any problems with it?
Just me? okee…
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From now on, I will refer to Skittles as fruit-flavored M&M wannabes.
More seriously, I have learned something, and thank you!
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Skits are what my mom used to make me and my brother do in costume in front of the extended family on Christmas. 
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Real talk, I cannot believe that made it through editing. Truly.
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