Back talk

Hello Kingfisher

'Back talk' means an insolent or impertinent or disputatious reply.

If you 'talk back' to someone, it doesn't just mean that you've replied: it means you've replied aggressively.

'Would you kindly remove yourself from my front garden?'
'Why should I?'
'Because it's my garden, and I don't want you to sit in it!'
'So what are you going to do if I don't remove myself?'
'I'll – I'll make you move!'
'Yeah? You and whose army?'
'Now listen, young man – '
'No, you listen, you old fool – '
'How dare you, you young – you young hoodlum! I've never been so insulted in my life!'
'Well, maybe you should get out more.'
'Young man, if you don't remove yourself from my front garden this instant, I'll call the police!'
'Go ahead, call the police, you old fool....'

and so on ad nauseam...

MrP