impish

The figure of the author, typically a crotchety older man with an impish sense of humor and unabashed literary fervor, became a staple of his later work.

Decades later, few friends can recall the precise nature of Wellbaum’s work — something in engineering? — but all remember vividly his impish sense of humor, and his devotion to McKenna.

Wolf makes a concerted effort to get at the truth, but Reubens, like the impish Pee-wee, remains guarded.

Instead, the impish demon still sports a black-and-white suit, hoping to cause mischief in the world of the living and reconnect with his decades-long crush, Lydia.

The New York Times, in its review of a 2009 jazz performance at Carnegie Hall, described his artistry as embodying "an impish strain of virtuosity".