This name for the phenomenon comes from French encyclopedist and philosopher Denis Diderot's description of such a situation in his "Paradoxe sur le comédien" ("Paradox on the Comedian").[2] 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, "a sensitive man, such as myself, overwhelmed by the argument levelled against him, becomes confused and doesn't come to himself again until at the bottom of the stairs" ("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").
In this case, "the bottom of the stairs" refers to the architecture of the kind of hôtel particulier or mansion to which Diderot had been invited. In such houses, the reception rooms were on the étage noble, one floor above the ground floor.[3] To have reached the bottom of the stairs means to have definitively left the gathering.
In other languagesedit
An older English term that was sometimes used for this meaning is afterwit; it is used, for example, in James Joyce's Ulysses (Chapter 9).
The Yiddish trepverter ("staircase words")[4] and the German loan translationTreppenwitz express the same idea as l'esprit de l'escalier. However, in contemporary German Treppenwitz has an additional meaning: it refers to events or facts that seem to contradict their own background or context.[5] The frequently used phrase Treppenwitz der Weltgeschichte ("staircase joke of world history") derives from the title of a book by that name by William Lewis Hertslet [de][6] (1882; much expanded 1895) and means "irony of history" or "paradox of history".[7][8]
In Russian, the notion is close to the native Russian saying "задним умом крепки" (zadnim umom krepki, "Our hindsight is strong").
The French expression is also used in French. English speakers sometimes call this "escalator wit", or "staircase wit".[9]
^Mark Cohen (2010-03-22). "Chabon and Alter: Is it Esprit d'escalier or Trepverter?". The Forward. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
^Treppenwitz, DUDEN – Das große Wörterbuch der Deutschen Sprache in zehn Bänden, Mannheim 2000. "Bedeutung: Vorfall, der wie ein schlechter Scherz wirkt." [Meaning: event which looks like a bad joke]
^Hertslet, William Lewis; Helmolt, Hans Ferdinand (2006-06-23). Der Treppenwitz der Weltgeschichte. Geschichtliche Irrtümer, Entstellungen und Erfindungen, William Lewis Hertslet, Winfried Hoffman. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
^. PONS. Archived from the original on 2016-05-20.
^Langenscheidts Großes Schulwörterbuch Deutsch-Englisch, Berlin, München 1977
^"Words for Ideas Worth Thinking About". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
External linksedit
The dictionary definition of l'esprit de l'escalier at Wiktionary
The dictionary definition of afterthought at Wiktionary
January 01, 1970
esprit, escalier, story, catherynne, valente, esprit, escalier, esprit, escalier, french, lɛspʁi, ɛskalje, staircase, french, term, used, english, predicament, thinking, perfect, reply, late, contents, origin, other, languages, also, references, external, link. For the story by Catherynne M Valente see L Esprit de L Escalier L esprit de l escalier or l esprit d escalier UK l ɛ ˌ s p r iː d e l ɛ ˈ s k ae l j eɪ US l ɛ ˌ s p r iː d e ˌ l ɛ s k e ˈ l j eɪ 1 French lɛspʁi d e l ɛskalje lit staircase wit is a French term used in English for the predicament of thinking of the perfect reply too late Contents 1 Origin 2 In other languages 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksOrigin editThis name for the phenomenon comes from French encyclopedist and philosopher Denis Diderot s description of such a situation in his Paradoxe sur le comedien Paradox on the Comedian 2 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 a sensitive man such as myself overwhelmed by the argument levelled against him becomes confused and doesn t come to himself again until at the bottom of the stairs l homme sensible comme moi tout entier a ce qu on lui objecte perd la tete et ne se retrouve qu au bas de l escalier In this case the bottom of the stairs refers to the architecture of the kind of hotel particulier or mansion to which Diderot had been invited In such houses the reception rooms were on the etage noble one floor above the ground floor 3 To have reached the bottom of the stairs means to have definitively left the gathering In other languages editAn older English term that was sometimes used for this meaning is afterwit it is used for example in James Joyce s Ulysses Chapter 9 The Yiddish trepverter staircase words 4 and the German loan translation Treppenwitz express the same idea as l esprit de l escalier However in contemporary German Treppenwitz has an additional meaning it refers to events or facts that seem to contradict their own background or context 5 The frequently used phrase Treppenwitz der Weltgeschichte staircase joke of world history derives from the title of a book by that name by William Lewis Hertslet de 6 1882 much expanded 1895 and means irony of history or paradox of history 7 8 In Russian the notion is close to the native Russian saying zadnim umom krepki zadnim umom krepki Our hindsight is strong The French expression is also used in French English speakers sometimes call this escalator wit or staircase wit 9 See also edit The Comeback Seinfeld Comic timing Epimetheus HindsightReferences edit esprit de l escalier dead link US and esprit de l escalier Lexico UK English Dictionary Oxford University Press Archived from the original on 2020 03 22 Paradoxe sur le comedien 1773 remanie en 1778 Diderot II Classiques Larousse 1934 p 56 Piano nobile Architecture Definition En mimi hu Retrieved 2011 10 27 Mark Cohen 2010 03 22 Chabon and Alter Is it Esprit d escalier or Trepverter The Forward Retrieved 2013 01 18 Treppenwitz DUDEN Das grosse Worterbuch der Deutschen Sprache in zehn Banden Mannheim 2000 Bedeutung Vorfall der wie ein schlechter Scherz wirkt Meaning event which looks like a bad joke Hertslet William Lewis Helmolt Hans Ferdinand 2006 06 23 Der Treppenwitz der Weltgeschichte Geschichtliche Irrtumer Entstellungen und Erfindungen William Lewis Hertslet Winfried Hoffman Retrieved 2011 10 27 Treppenwitz German English PONS Archived from the original on 2016 05 20 Langenscheidts Grosses Schulworterbuch Deutsch Englisch Berlin Munchen 1977 Words for Ideas Worth Thinking About Merriam Webster Retrieved 2011 10 27 External links edit nbsp The dictionary definition of l esprit de l escalier at Wiktionary nbsp The dictionary definition of afterthought at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title L 27esprit de l 27escalier amp oldid 1222518680, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
