• l'Esprit de l'Escalier

  • Ideas & Concepts
  • By: iMinds
  • Narrated by: Ellouise Rothwell
  • Length: 7 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)

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l'Esprit de l'Escalier  By  cover art

l'Esprit de l'Escalier

By: iMinds
Narrated by: Ellouise Rothwell
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Editorial reviews

In movies, characters always seem to know what to say, responding to a wisecrack with a witty rejoinder of their own. Of course, that dialogue is scripted; normal people aren't so lucky. Often, we come up with the perfect response to someone's comment much later, a situation known as l'esprit de l'escalier. The concept was named by Denis Diderot, as it's wit that only arises at the "bottom of the stairs," when it's too late. iMinds provides the history of l'esprit de l'escalier, and the jaunty soundtrack combines with Elouise Rothwell's sly performance to make a fun, revelatory listen.

Publisher's summary

Learn about the feeling of l'Esprit de l'Escalier with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. There’s nothing like a good comeback. It’s witty, snappy and completely devastating to your verbal sparring partner. A woman once said to US President Calvin Coolidge: “I’ve made a bet with a friend that I can get you to say at least three words to me this evening. What do you have to say to that?” Coolidge looked at her and calmly replied: “You lose.”

But how many times have you gone completely blank when arguing with someone, only to think of the perfect comeback an hour later? It’s too late, of course. Whoever you were arguing with is long gone, and even if they’re still around, a witty comeback is only witty if it’s delivered off the cuff. More than anything, you wish you could wind back time and deliver your riposte at the perfect moment. That’s l’esprit de l’escalier.

Perfect to listen to while commuting, exercising, shopping or cleaning the house.. iMinds brings knowledge to your MP3 with 8 minute information segments to whet your mental appetite and broaden your mind.

iMinds offers 12 main categories; become a Generalist by increasing your knowledge of Business, Politics, People, History, Pop Culture, Mystery, Crime, Culture, Religion, Concepts, Science and Sport. Clean and concise, crisp and engaging, discover what you never knew you were missing.

iMinds is the knowledge solution for the information age cutting through the white noise to give you quick, accurate knowledge .. Perfect your dinner party conversation, impress your boss - an excellent way to discover topics of interest for the future.

©2009 iMinds Pty Ltd (P)2009 iMinds Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"I'm learning all sorts of stuff about stuff I didn't even know I didn't know. And it sticks. In a nutshell: wonderful." (Jonathon Margolis, Financial Times)

What listeners say about l'Esprit de l'Escalier

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