> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://goodoil.news/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The Good Oil Word of the Day
- URL: https://goodoil.news/the-good-oil-word-of-the-day-562/
- Published: 2026-02-27T17:15:54.000Z
- Updated: 2026-02-27T17:15:54.000Z
- Author: David Theobald
- Tags: General, Word of the Day

The word for today is…

repartee (noun) -

1a: a quick and witty reply  
b: a succession or interchange of clever retorts : amusing and usually light sparring with words  
2: adroitness and cleverness in reply : skill in repartee

Source : [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repartee?ref=goodoil.news)

Etymology : Dorothy Parker was known for her repartee. Upon hearing that former president Calvin Coolidge had died, the poet, short-story writer, screenwriter, and critic—famous for her acerbic wit—replied, “How can they tell?” The taciturn Coolidge, aka “Silent Cal,” obviously didn’t have a reputation for being the life of the party, but he could be counted on for the occasional bon mot, as when a Washington, D.C., hostess told him, “You must talk to me, Mr. President. I made a bet today that I could get more than two words out of you,” and he replied, “You lose.” Repartee, our word for a quick, sharp reply (and for skill with such replies) comes from the French repartie, of the same meaning. Repartie itself is formed from the French verb repartir, meaning “to retort.”

***If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.***