esprit d’escalierexpr.
[ɛs.pʁi dɛs.ka.lje]
the perfect retort you think of once it’s too late
In a sentence
- L’esprit d’escalier a encore frappé dans le métro !Staircase wit strikes again, this time on the métro!
- Il a pensé à la bonne réponse trop tard : esprit d’escalier.He thought of the right answer too late: staircase wit.
Literally staircase wit: the dazzling comeback that arrives as you are already on the stairs leaving the party. Diderot coined it, and everyone has lived it.
🎬 The word in under a minute
What « esprit d’escalier » means, the register it belongs to (soutenu), and two sentences you can use today. A new word every day → Open this short as a page — transcript included →