Backchat

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbæk.t͡ʃæt/

Definitions

1. Impertinent or disrespectful replies given in response to authority figures or criticism
2. Responses characterized by impudence or insolence towards authority figures, often in the form of quick and cheeky remarks
3. Disrespectful and often quick replies given in response to authority figures or criticism can be referred to as impudent remarks

Etymology: "Backchat" is a plain compound: "back" joined to "chat." The first element comes from Old English "bæc," the word for the rear part of the body, which has been part of English since the earliest records and gradually took on the sense of "behind" or "in return." The second element traces to a Middle English verb "chateren" (or "chiteren"), imitating the quick, chattering sound of talk, and the modern "chat" is a clipped form of "chatter." Putting the two together gives a picture of talk sent straight back at someone, usually in reply to a superior and with the bluntness that the bodily "back" suggests. The word describes that cheeky, quick-witted retort rather than any formal dispute, and its meaning rests entirely on the familiar parts it is built from.

Synonyms: retort, rejoinder