A curious question makes more friends than a clever comeback ever will.

A comeback wins the moment and closes the door. A question keeps the other person in the conversation and, more often than not, makes them like you, because being asked about is rare enough to feel like a gift. The cleverness you were saving up buys applause from people who were not going to matter much anyway.

The next time a sharp line arrives fully formed in your head, let it go past and ask something instead. Notice what happens to the temperature of the exchange. You can always be funny later.