Touché

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Touché is a French term (literally, touched) that is used in fencing to acknowledge the receipt of a valid hit. The person who gets touched calls out "Touché".

[edit] Other Uses

It is also used in conversation or debate to concede a point as true.

• Officially Trademarked by Easton Scarbrough

More commonly, it is used sarcastically to indicate that one is unable to argue against another's absurd logic. This use is most often restricted to scripted satirical media such as political cartoons, comic strips and comedy shows. Here are two examples from the TV Series The Simpsons to demonstrate the use of touché:

• Example 1, from “Maximum Homerdrive” [1]:

Bart: I want to go with you, Dad.

Homer: Don’t you have school?

Bart: Don’t you have work?

Homer: Ah, touché.

• Example 2, from "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?" [2]:

Homer: Not bad, if lasagna is Italian for pile of puke.

Salvetore: Ah, I chop you good.

Homer: I hope you cut me better than you did these string beans. [pause] I seem to be missing a piece of my ear. Touché.

It's also been used in South Park.

• Example from "Chef Goes Nanners" [3]:

Wendy: Cartman, why don't you just go home?! You aren't helping any!

Cartman: You won't let me help.

Wendy: That's because you're stupid, and you're a racist!

Cartman: [Thinks for a second] Touché.

Also used in Family Guy: (stuck together torn apart episode)

The Griffins are at a store called 'Costmart'

Peter: Who would ever buy a dozen Watermelons?

Gallagher the comedian walks up and picks up the watermelons.

Peter: Touché, costmart

Gallagher smashes watermelons.

Bystander: is it 1981?

It has also been used, albeit incorrectly (but in a joking sense), in a Mac vs. PC commercial.

• Example:

Mac: Hello, I'm a Mac.

PC: And I'm a PC.

Mac: And I'm a PC, too.

PC: And I'm--what?

Mac: Yeah, see, now you can run Mac OS 10 or Windows on a Mac, so in a way, I'm kinda like the only computer you'll ever need.

PC: Ah, touché.

Mac: Uh, now I don't think you're using that right.

PC: Touché.

Mac: No, see, you only say touché if you make a point and I make a counter-point. You see, so I said I run Windows, but, you haven't a point yet. Let's try it again. You can get a Mac and still run all your Windows stuff.

PC: *Scratches Head* Touché?

Mac: Nevermind.