L'esprit de l'escalier
Encyclopedia
L'esprit de l'escalier is a French
term used in English that describes the predicament of thinking of the right comeback too late.
's description of such a situation in his Paradoxe sur le comédien. During a dinner at the home of statesman Jacques Necker
, a remark was made to Diderot which left him speechless at the time, because, he explains, "l’homme sensible, comme moi, tout entier à ce qu’on lui objecte, perd la tête et ne se retrouve qu’au bas de l’escalier" ("a sensitive man, such as myself, overwhelmed by the argument levelled against him, becomes confused and can only think clearly again [when he reaches] the bottom of the stairs"). In this case, “the bottom of the stairs” refers to the architecture of the kind of hôtel particulier
or mansion Diderot had been invited to. In such houses, the reception rooms were located on the étage noble, the noble story, one floor above the ground floor, so that to have reached the bottom of the stairs means to have definitively left the gathering in question.
Diderot's fellow-philosophe Jean-Jacques Rousseau
also recognised his own affliction with l’esprit de l’escalier. In his autobiographical book Confessions
he blamed such social blunders and missed opportunities for turning him into a misanthrope, and reassured himself that he was better at "conversations by mail".
American English speakers sometimes also call this "elevator wit".
has a song called "Esprit D'escalier," which indicates the feeling of this regret throughout.
The Seinfeld
episode "The Comeback" revolves around this phenomenon. The character George Costanza
comes up with what he believes is the perfect comeback to an insulting remark made by a former coworker, and he goes to great lengths to recreate the situation so that he may ultimately use the comeback.
Chuck Palahniuk uses the term in his novel "Haunted."
Treppenwitz (when used in an English language context) express the same idea as l'esprit de l'escalier. However, Treppenwitz in contemporary German has a different meaning: It refers to events or facts that seem to contradict their own background or context. The frequently used phrase "Treppenwitz der Weltgeschichte" ("staircase joke of world history") derives from the title of a book of that name by W. Lewis Hertslet and means "a paradox of history".
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
term used in English that describes the predicament of thinking of the right comeback too late.
Origin
This name for the phenomenon comes from French encyclopedist and philosopher Denis DiderotDenis Diderot
Denis Diderot was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent person during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder and chief editor of and contributor to the Encyclopédie....
's description of such a situation in his Paradoxe sur le comédien. During a dinner at the home of statesman Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
, a remark was made to Diderot which left him speechless at the time, because, he explains, "l’homme sensible, comme moi, tout entier à ce qu’on lui objecte, perd la tête et ne se retrouve qu’au bas de l’escalier" ("a sensitive man, such as myself, overwhelmed by the argument levelled against him, becomes confused and can only think clearly again [when he reaches] the bottom of the stairs"). In this case, “the bottom of the stairs” refers to the architecture of the kind of hôtel particulier
Hôtel particulier
In French contexts an hôtel particulier is an urban "private house" of a grand sort. Whereas an ordinary maison was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a street, an hôtel particulier was often free-standing, and by the 18th century it...
or mansion Diderot had been invited to. In such houses, the reception rooms were located on the étage noble, the noble story, one floor above the ground floor, so that to have reached the bottom of the stairs means to have definitively left the gathering in question.
Diderot's fellow-philosophe Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
also recognised his own affliction with l’esprit de l’escalier. In his autobiographical book Confessions
Confessions (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Confessions is an autobiographical book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In modern times, it is often published with the title The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in order to distinguish it from St. Augustine of Hippo's Confessions...
he blamed such social blunders and missed opportunities for turning him into a misanthrope, and reassured himself that he was better at "conversations by mail".
American English speakers sometimes also call this "elevator wit".
Popular culture
Hey Rosetta!Hey Rosetta!
Hey Rosetta! is a six-piece Canadian indie rock band from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Known for its energized live shows, the band creates a massive, layered sound by incorporating piano, violin and cello into the traditional four-piece garage rock sound.-History:Their influences include...
has a song called "Esprit D'escalier," which indicates the feeling of this regret throughout.
The Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Comeback" revolves around this phenomenon. The character George Costanza
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
comes up with what he believes is the perfect comeback to an insulting remark made by a former coworker, and he goes to great lengths to recreate the situation so that he may ultimately use the comeback.
Chuck Palahniuk uses the term in his novel "Haunted."
Other languages
The German loan translationCalque
In linguistics, a calque or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal, word-for-word or root-for-root translation.-Calque:...
Treppenwitz (when used in an English language context) express the same idea as l'esprit de l'escalier. However, Treppenwitz in contemporary German has a different meaning: It refers to events or facts that seem to contradict their own background or context. The frequently used phrase "Treppenwitz der Weltgeschichte" ("staircase joke of world history") derives from the title of a book of that name by W. Lewis Hertslet and means "a paradox of history".