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repartee

 [rep-er-tee, -tey, -ahr-]   Example Sentences Origin

rep·ar·tee

   [rep-er-tee, -tey, -ahr-]
noun
1.
a quick, witty reply.
2.
conversation full of such replies.
3.
skill in making such replies.
Origin:
1635–45; < French repartie retort, noun use of feminine past participle of repartir, Middle French, equivalent to re- re- + partir to part

Synonyms
2. banter, sparring, fencing.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Repartee is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Example Sentences
  • In every repartee there is the a que and the ad quem, meaning thereby both the person who retorts and the object.
  • Do not be intimidated, but do not expect much repartee or laughter either.
  • He is candid, and a little coarse, his repartee sprinkled with curses and off-color jokes.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
repartee (ˌrɛpɑːˈtiː)
 
—n
1.  a sharp, witty, or aphoristic remark made as a reply
2.  terse rapid conversation consisting of such remarks
3.  skill in making sharp witty replies or conversation
 
[C17: from French repartie, from repartir to retort, from re- + partir to go away]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

repartee
c.1645, "quick remark," from Fr. repartie "an answering blow or thrust" (originally a fencing term), noun use of fem. pp. of O.Fr. repartir "to reply promptly, start out again," from re- "back" + partir "to part, depart, start" (see part). Meaning "a series of sharp rejoinders
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exchanged" is from 1688.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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