I remember reading this word or expression in a book that describes the feeling you have when you think about a reply that you could've given to someone, but you do it too late.
Asked
Active
Viewed 83 times
0
-
Are you looking for something like “in retrospect”? – Jim Jun 07 '20 at 18:02
-
I think "normal" is the correct adjective. – Hot Licks Jun 07 '20 at 18:11
1 Answers
3
The phrase you are looking for may be l'esprit de l'escalier, or staircase wit. Both the original French and the English translation are used in English.
The phrase comes from thinking of the perfect reply to somebody at the bottom of the stairs, just when you are leaving their house, when it is too late to use it.
Peter Shor
- 88,407
-
See https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/109763/is-there-an-english-term-for-lesprit-de-lescalier – Greybeard Jun 07 '20 at 19:04
-
-
@Elliot: I believe Freud's stair-step thoughts are a different (and arguably better) translation of l'esprit de l'escalier. But Diderot came up with the phrase a century before Freud did. – Peter Shor Jun 08 '20 at 03:44
-
@Peter; Thank you for pointing that out. It's interesting that you think that. Tell me more about your mother. – Elliot Jun 08 '20 at 04:10