"The Last Word." For many, the last word is a fabled prize, like the Golden Fleece of the Argonauts. For those people, some of whom are quite popular, getting the last word is a near-obsession. They plan for it and store up a ready supply of rejoinders and come-backs, along with non-sequiturs that can neatly cap any discourse while they make their escape (the oft-quoted "technically that's illegal" comes to mind). This practice is essential if you want to be remembered after everyone's finished talking.
There is something compelling about putting your mark on a conversation, topping a quip, or being the one to finish the argument. Suppose, for instance, that a nuclear war happens right after you finish speaking. If you've had the last word, you might have had the Last Word.
Of course, that's an extreme case. A nuclear war probably won't happen.
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