esprit de l'escalier
[ es-pree duh le-skahl-yey ]
/ ɛsˈpri də lɛˈskɑl yeɪ /
noun French.
a perfect comeback or witty remark that one frustratingly comes up with only when the moment for doing so has passed: Writers, by nature, tend to be people in whom l' esprit de l'escalier is a recurrent experience.
Origin of esprit de l'escalier
First recorded in 1905–10; literally, “wit of the staircase” (i.e., after one has left the gathering)
Words nearby esprit de l'escalier
espouse,
espressivo,
espresso,
esprit,
esprit de corps,
esprit de l'escalier,
espronceda,
espundia,
espy,
espírito santo,
espíritu santo