08:30 Jul 13, 2011 

In Ned Sherrin's essay he states "In the 18th century Diderot, in Paradoxe sur le Comédien, identified this predicament as ‘l’esprit de l’escalier’ or ‘staircase wit’, the cutting reply one thinks of only when one has left the drawing room and is already on the way downstairs." In your essay on Chema Madoz, I suspect this is not exactly the meaning the writer has in mind, but rather, as you suggest, refers obliquely to the stairs and ladders which appear in his work. Like much literary writing, the essay seems full of jeux de mots, and not at all easy to translate.

21:42 Jul 12, 2011 

by the late Ned Sherrin: http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.co.uk/pdf/0-19-860988-4.pdf -- attributing the expression to Diderot.

19:53 Jul 12, 2011 

Have done already, although your links are much better than mine!

19:52 Jul 12, 2011 

Here are some links:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/esprit de l'escalier
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esprit de l'escalier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'esprit_de_l'escalier
-->> Post your Answer!
EDIT: I see you did!
Sorry, though, about the faulty links. Proz does not like apostrophes in links.

19:44 Jul 12, 2011 

The more I think that we use the French expression in English too. Off to investigate.

19:42 Jul 12, 2011 

I know the expression as "esprit d'escalier" but I see that it is used in both versions. Coming up with a witty answer or riposte, but only with hindsight, not at the right moment.