Your Great Replies

While the most celebrated examples of repartee have come from well-known historical figures or celebrities, many remarkable replies have been authored by little-known people in the seclusion of their homes or the privacy of their offices. A perfect example occurred last year in the home of Ken and Lynnette Logsdon. Ken is a subscriber to Dr. Mardy's Quotes of the Week, a weekly e-newsletter I send out every Sunday morning to many thousands of people all around the world. When he found out I was working on a book on repartee, he wrote to tell me how much he admired a clever comeback he'd recently heard from wife Lynnette. The Logsdons have an art collection that they dearly love, but which is not esteemed as highly by their teenage daughters. When the family was gathered in the living room one day, 16-year-old Emily was seen examining the paintings. Finally, she looked over at her mother and asked, "When you die, can we sell all these?" Stunned by the bluntness of the question, Ken's mouth dropped open and he was stumped for words. But not Lynnette. She replied:

It was the perfect rejoinder, and one especially appreciated by 18-year-old Katy Logsdon, who'd been observing the conversation. She honored her mother's comeback with the ultimate teenage compliment, simply saying, "Ouch!"

I was so impressed with Lynnette's reply I decided to feature it in the "Relationship Repartee" chapter of my book. Now that the book has been published, her extraordinary reply is no longer a private and personal story to be told only at family gatherings, but can be enjoyed by fans of repartee all around the world. Lynnette, by the way, is a risk management R.N. at the University of Missouri-Columbia Student Health Center. Her husband Ken has a home-based greeting card business, "Post-a-Quote" (check it out at: www.postaquote.com).

Send Your Favorite Comebacks, Retorts, and Witty Replies

If you have authored a fabulous reply, or witnessed one, please send it along. I have a panel of friends who help me select the best ones, which I'll preserve for posterity in this section of the site. Please don't go into a lot of detail, though, and include a brief biographical description (2-3 sentences) as well.

On the pages below, you'll find examples of Real Life Repartee.

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