Esprit de l'escalier
es-PREE duh les-kal-YAY
n.The perfect reply that arrives only once you have left.
French — 'staircase wit'Established linguistic term
On the Stairs
The remark was made at 21:14. The reply arrived at 23:52, in a taxi, on the Westway, and was perfect.
Between those two times Sofia had said, in total, "Ha," and then something about the canapés.
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The remark, for the record, because she can produce it verbatim eleven months later:
"Sofia's the one who left the law for — sorry, what is it you do now? Something creative."
Delivered by a woman called Fenella, at a table of nine, with a small smile, in a tone that placed something creative in the same category as something regrettable.