Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“When he had gone, I thought of a splendid answer I ought to have given him. However, I will keep it for another occasion.”
- Source
- The Diary of a Nobody
- Date
- 1892
- Local voice
- Fictional narrator · Charles Pooter
Meaning of “When he had gone, I thought of a…”
Pooter’s perfect comeback arrives only after the argument has ended, a familiar social failure made comic by his confidence that the delayed answer can simply be saved for later.
Where does it come from?
The Diary of a Nobody, Chapter I, April 6 entry; Project Gutenberg #1026. Immediately after Borset leaves, Charles Pooter thinks of the “splendid answer” he should have given and decides to save it for another occasion. This is the same continuous comic exchange as the preceding Borset record and illustrates Pooter’s delayed wit rather than generic communication advice.
Why the local voice matters
Pooter narrates his delayed comeback after Borset leaves.
