The language of the play moves between the vernacular and the elevated, informed by the repartee [ˌɹɛpɚˈti] of TV sitcoms as well as by the poetry of William Blake.

repartee
noun [ˌɹɛpɚˈti]

Repartee can refer to either “a conversation in which clever statements and replies are made quickly” or a single “quick and witty reply.” It can also refer to one’s cleverness and wit in conversation, as in “an aunt widely known for her repartee at family gatherings.”

Comes from the French repartie, of the same meaning. Repartie itself is formed from the French verb repartir, meaning “to retort.”

English