Touché
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A character graciously admits defeat, while at least trying to save face. This is usually accomplished by saying words such as "Touché" (a term in fencing that acknowledges an opponent landing a hit), "point taken", "I stand corrected" (both when losing an argument) or "Well played".
Now this does require something where the stakes aren't particularly high, but the form of defeat can still vary, from losing a minor argument to being Out-Gambitted.
Recently it's even spoofed, when someone tries a really pathetic plan, it gets easily beaten, but the planner acts as though he/she was outwitted by a master.
Compare Worthy Opponent.
Anime and Manga
- Used as an off-joke in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
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Sartoious: You see, gentlemen, as a new student here I'd rather not stand out. |
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Film
- In Jurassic Park, Muldoon is outwitted by the raptors and says "Clever girl" just before being eaten.
Live-Action TV
- In Frasier, Niles had heart surgery, and Frasier made a promise to God to be nice to Niles if he lived. Niles then acted insufferably (over his fear of what might happen again), and Frasier wanted to lay into his brother, but felt he couldn't break his promise. Then he found a loophole, and felt it was enough. But it turned out their father already talked Niles out of it. Frasier then just said "Well played, God. I'll see you at Easter."
- In the first season of The Naked Truth, Nora gets her Camilla's job back by tricking the owner of The Comet. He said earlier "Who said life was fair?", and after she tricked him, she said the same thing. He said "Touché", although did give her a crappy assignment as payback.
Newspaper Comics
- In a series of Peanuts strips, Charlie Brown and Linus are discussing current events and the future. Charlie Brown is very cynical, Linus is overly optimistic. Until...
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Charlie Brown: So you think the world is getting better? Well if you've got so much confidence in the world getting better, how come you hang onto that blanket? |
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Radio
- The Goon Show actually parodied it.
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"Touché." |
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Video Games
- In Team Fortress 2 Spy will occasionally greet an enemy that kills him with "Well played."
Web Original
- A Running Gag in Naruto the Abridged Series. Iruka, as the first person in the series to say it, gets irritated whenever other characters use it.
- Bob (Homura) asked Gladys (Koharu) if he could be the Hokage. When told he couldn't, he put on a disguise and asked again.
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Gladys: "Dammit, Bob, that's just you with a fake mustache!" |
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- The Wiiviewer said this after he tried to argue he couldn't compare Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda, as they were different genres, and the sons pointed out he compared a racing game with a platformer game.