know one of those people who uses words ALL THE TIME without really knowing the meaning?
Touche- –interjection
1.Fencing. (an expression used to indicate a hit or touch.)
2.(an expression used for acknowledging a telling remark or rejoinder.)
1.Fencing. (an expression used to indicate a hit or touch.)
2.(an expression used for acknowledging a telling remark or rejoinder.)
In fencing, touché (French: touched) is used as an acknowledgement of a hit, called out by the fencer who is hit. A referee can call out touché to refer to a touch being called - for example, the French call for "no point" is "pas de touche" (French: no touch).
The phrase touché is often used in popular culture and general conversation—for example, in an argument or debate. If one person presents an argument and another delivers a clever or apt response, the first person may respond with "touché" as a way of acknowledging a good response. Similarly, there is also a fencing move called a "riposte," which refers to "an offensive action with the intent of hitting one's opponent, made by the fencer who has just parried an attack" and in common lexicon is understood as a quick and witty reply to an argument or an insult.
The expression probably comes from the first blood duels, relatively common in the eighteenth century: during the duel touching the opponent with the tip of the sword was sufficient to win; when this would happen the loser would acknowledge the defeat yelling "touched" hence ending the fight.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.Last updated on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at 20:13:37 PDT (GMT -0700)
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