2 Answers

  1. “Reminiscence (from Lat. reminiscor — to recall; to invent) – a mnemic effect consisting in a delayed recall of what initially (with direct reproduction) could not be reproduced. As a result, there is a partial or even general improvement in delayed playback compared to direct playback.”

    Psychological dictionary by A. V. Petrovsky and M. G. Yaroshevsky

  2. The French have an expression: the staircase effect. It appears when you find the correct answer, but it's too late. For example, at a party, someone insults you. You have to respond somehow. When everyone's looking at you, when you're under pressure, you say something unconvincing or less witty than you might have.
    And just as you're leaving a party and “starting down the stairs,” you come up with the perfect answer.

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