riposte

[underused]

riposte
a quick, clever reply to an insult or criticism
a quick return thrust in fencing

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I like this word. Its fencing connotation is evocative.

It also reminds me of the French expression l'esprit d'escalier (or the German treppenwitz). Both idioms translate to "staircase wit," describing those frustrating moments when you come up with the perfect riposte only after you've walked away.

Comments

[merikuru]

I love Instant Rimshot, thank you for reminding me of its existence. :D