Pluggers by Rick McKee for July 26, 2021

drat

The French call it “l’esprit de l’escalier.”

I remember when I was buying a fake beard at Malabar Costumes. (This was near Halloween, so the whole staff were wearking costumes, like sailor and convict and druidess.) A guy dressed as Superman sold me the beard and some glue to attach it, telling me that after applying the glue I should wait a minute for it to get tacky. I wish I’d said, “In the costume business, there’s no such word as tacky!”

Unfortunately we Pluggers are more inclined to think up a snappy comeback the next day rather than on the spot. That’s a pity, if you ask me.

The jerk store called. They’re running out of you.

Real Pluggers know enough to make snappy comebacks. Sometimes pretty pointed ones but only when necessary and also when it’s fair game.

Smile, nod, look ’em right in the eye. No words needed.

Unless you’re 10….“I know you are, but what am I?” is not a good comeback

With all the shootings going on, it’s safer that way.

My husband is usually pretty quick with a comeback.

My favorite hot drink is General Foods Orange Cappuccino. Eons ago, Mum was sitting in my kitchen, and I offered her a cup, which she accepted. Idly, she turned over the can and looked at the price tag. (She died in 2011, so we’re talking way back when.) It was $2.59, and remarked, “Humph. Your father and I can’t afford that.”

Just then, Hubby came into the kitchen for something, and told her, “I’ll have you know, my wife is worth a dollar and a quarter a week.”

She almost slid off the chair in embarrassment.

Yep, that’s me—-was NEVER good on the ‘snappy comeback’ ! ! ! !

I can usually come up with a come back.

Sometimes it’s best to choose not to use.

For me, it’s more often, “I know who they are, but what’s their name?”

From today’s Comics Curmudgeon:

Say, did you know there’s a French phrase for this very phenomenon? It’s l’esprit de l’escalier, which literally means “the spirit of the staircase,” the idea being that you think of the perfect bon mot as you’re walking up the stairs to your apartment after you’ve left the party. In related news, I thought of the phrase that’s mostly likely to trigger a plugger into a violent rage, and it’s “Say, did you know there’s a French phrase for this very phenomenon?”

I’ve got a great comment for this. I just can’t think of it right now.

ain’t that the truth… (my best comebacks usually occur to me in the middle of the night)

It’s the ones that come months later that I hate.

Very very slow on the trigger that one is…..

Like suddenly waking up and remembering during the night.

Pluggers is one of my favorite cartoons.