Posted on 12/01/2008 11:32:48 PM PST by Slings and Arrows
The French call it “l’esprit d’escalier,” or “staircase ghost.”
To the rest of us, it is known simply as the comeback, that divine and tender coincidence of all the universe’s comedic forces at the perfect moment. A truly good comeback can instantly turn tables, elevate the terminally zinged to the status of champion, and reduce the zinger to a stuttering fool.
Sadly, many of us will go our entire lives without scoring a decent comeback, doomed to pause awkwardly and mutter some pathetic variation of “your face” for the rest of our miserable lives. For us, it must be enough simply to marvel at the comebacks of the better equipped, and possibly memorize them for later personal use.
(Excerpt) Read more at cracked.com ...
Winner and still champion:
“There you go again...”
This is completely stupid. The expression is "the spirit of the staircase", in the sense of inspiration. It means retorts or witticisms thought of after the fact, too late, when retiring.
Note the article source.
Pretty funny.
By the way, that’s a nice haircut you gave yourself.
Yeah, well the jerk store called and they’re out of YOU.
I don’t get it.
I don’t know. Seems like the original, quick-witted comebacks are the best. I think the “Cracked” guys were smoking some crack - and/or 14 year-old boys.
Val Kilmer: Look up "idiot" in the dictionary. You know what you'll find?
Robert Downey Jr.: A picture of me?
Kilmer: No! The definition of the word idiot, which is what you are!
Thank you for taking your head out of your *** long enough to notice.
You could tell the author, but that would be cruelty to the retarded.
Some good ones there! Then there are some that I would not have included on a top ten list......
For instance, the Keith Moon one is not particularly funny, I don’t find — it’s of interest b/c of how spectacularly wrong Moon was about the prospects for such a band and that Moon himself provided the name for the band (if that’s what he actually said in a drug-induce haze). But I don’t find it to be a great, hilarious “zinger”..... maybe that’s just me.
btw, the opening bit about “L’esprit d’escalier” misunderstands the point of that expression, since it has to do with what someone DIDN’T say as a comeback, but only thought of too late, on the stairway, while departing the premises. Thus, it is not the expression to use in referring to these ten comeback zingers which all were (allegedly) uttered at the time, not thought of after the fact.
What’s the difference? You’re their biggest seller!
I'm inclined to agree. Maybe we don't take enough drugs to appreciate it.
Elegant. I like it.
Anyone remember “The Ultimate Flame” thread? I had it bookmarked but it’s been gone for years I guess.
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