Meaning of l'esprit de l'escalier | Babel Free

Definitions

The phenomenon when a conversational rejoinder or remark only occurs to someone after the opportunity to make it has passed.

uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Some last thoughts in l'esprit de l'escalier—afterthoughts descending the stairwell as one remembers things unsaid.”

“I flashed on Nancy again. The French had a word for everything: even for that thing you wished you'd said. L'esprit de l'escalier. The wit of the staircase. What I wished I'd said was this: […]”

“'That's understandable,' said May, 'we get it all the time. L'esprit d'escalier—remembering what you should have said too late.'”

“Later, l'esprit de l'escalier provided Mercia with: Glad you're in agreement/I haven't yet spoken/Is that a greeting/Yes indeed—but at the time, affronted, she grabbed at a couple of garments and announced, I'll try these.”

CEFR level