I may need to say something that is (seemingly) nice about someone, but I’d prefer it be very subtly backhanded or nearly believable hyperbole.



Edit: I realized that I was imagining something like how the Colbert Report was done where it’s easy to believe I’m agreeing when really I’m spoofing.

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[–] 93 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You seem like management material.

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  • [–] 82 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    You're at the top of the bell curve!

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    The best part is that it isn't really an insult.

    Statistically speaking, any given person is most likely to be near the peak of the bell curve of a given thing.

    Someone being offended by it means that they think they're above average, and you think they're average. There's nothing wrong with being average...most people are.

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  • [–] 62 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    "I've never heard anyone express an option like that out loud before."

    "What a unique approach to the problem!"

    "I bet you played football in highschool, right?"

    "Has anyone ever told you that you'd look good in a uniform?"

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  • [–] 31 points 1 year ago

    The series Ted Lasso is chock full of these, but my favorite was after Jade meets Rupert and he leaves, she says, "Well, he seems rich."

    Like it almost sounds like a compliment, but only if you lack the self-awareness and empathy of someone who isn't rich.

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  • [–] 51 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    "I hope the rest of your day is as pleasant as you are"

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The only one I've ever pulled off on the spur of a moment unintentionally is when my asshole stepdad broke his foot and I ended up casually quipping to him, "you gotta work hard in order to get a leg up in the world".

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  • [–] 24 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    This works only in Dutch. I used to work in the service industry, where every now and then you'd have rude or ungrateful people.

    In Dutch, the formal way of saying 'thank you' is 'Dank u', but that's very close in pronunciation to French 'dans cul', meaning 'in the ass'.

    So with people I secretly loathed I would thank them with an ever so slight French twang.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    In the Southern United States men will do this with Northern men passing through. Mumbling yes ma'am instead of yes man.

    Real cuntish if you ask me, I think they need a taste of their own medicine.

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  • [–] 40 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Some I've collected over the years.

    • "At this point, you can only impress me."
    • "My opinion of you can only go up from here"
    • "The bar was on the ground and you brought a shovel."
    • "Would you think less of me if ____." "I could never think less of you."

      • Britta says "nobody respects me any less as a political activist, right?"

        Long pause...

        Jeff: "the level to which we respect you as a political activist has definitely not changed"

    • “You aren’t the biggest idiot in the world but you better hope they don’t die”
    • Unencumbered by the thought process.
    • "I'm guessing you weren't burdened with an overabundance of schooling." - Malcolm Reynolds
    • "My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle." Malcolm Reynolds
    • "You're the reason we have warning labels."
    • "They only got two brain cells and both of them are fighting for third place."
    • "It's impossible to underestimate you."
      • "Don't underestimate me." "I couldn't possibly."

    • "If you were half as smart as you think you are, you’d be twice as smart as you really are."
    • "If you ever had a clever thought, it died alone and afraid."
    • "They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge."
    • "He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
    • "May I ask what's on your mind, if you'll forgive the overstatement?"
    • "You could hide your own Easter eggs."
    • "I can explain it again, if you'd like, but I can't understand for you."
    • "He is a modest man with much to be modest about."
    • "I would agree with you but then we would both be wrong"
    • "Your secret is safe with my indifference."
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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    The ol uncle Iroh

    "Wisdom has been chasing you all your life but you have always been faster"

    Bad sarcasm me and my friends do

    Any response to "ive been thinking" that is shocked. Like "Wow. And?" Or "good for you"

    or any form of "yeah, youre getting there"

    Basically rember that perfection is impossible and that comparison is the thief of joy but be a dick lol

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    I envy those who have never met you

    Good go to

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    "I never thought of it that way."

    "That's a new perspective."

    "I love your confidence!"

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    Oh, your hair is (pause) fine.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago

    Well, not terribly subtle, but if you are fighting with your spouse and they complain that you never say anything nice about their family, you can respond with:

    "Well, I have to say that your in-laws are better than my in-laws"

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    "I don't care what anyone says, I think you're alright."

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    "Wow you look good today."

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    You're excused

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago

    "I love how you can just wear whatever."

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    (i subtlety downvoted you)

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago

    I'm nostalgic of the time when I haven't met you

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago

    One I came across in a novel I'm reading just now: "I wanted to tell her how happy she must be as a married woman now that she no longer have to bother with looking attractive".

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Most of the comments here seem very British. This is entirely the British way......saying something good isn't just taken at face value as a positive; instead it is taken to mean that every other time was very negative.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    I like to say "don't flatter yourself" when somebody says something self-demeaning

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  • My dog would like you.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (14 children)

    Why do you need to? Arent there enough assholes already?

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  • [–] [S] 10 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    I have befriended someone who has high opinions of some people I regard as selfish toxic idiots. I don’t feel the need to launch a frontal assault on this person’s beliefs, but I also don’t want to simply agree with them.

    Admittedly, it’s passive aggressive. I may not follow through.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    You can express your views about these people in a dispassionate manner as well. It’s not a choice between being a dick about it or agreeing with them. Nothing good comes from passive aggression. You’d probably consider that toxic too if it were directed at you or your opinions.

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  • [–] [S] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    fair point

    currently, I just don’t reply

    edit: My other thought was to really lean into agreeing with them. For example: The friend doesn’t explicitly embrace these people’s racism, but maybe it would make an impact if the friend witnessed me celebrating these people’s racism when the friend praises them for something else.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I use the blank stare with “what do you mean?” Then I continue to be clueless as they explain whatever shitty viewpoint they’re backing.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    This is the most fun way to see just how shitty a racist is. The ones that still have a modicum of shame end up trying to tap dance around outright saying the quiet part out loud, and making them super uncomfortable playing dumb is my favorite way to interact with those kinds of people.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    If you don't say anything, they assume you agree with them. It's a fine line between letting them know you (maybe respectfully) disagree, vs. actively debating, but in some cases I think it's worthwhile to try to let them know you aren't inside their bubble. Agree outright dickishness is unhelpful, but so much depends on the specifics of the relationship and circumstances of delivery.

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  • [–] -3 points 1 year ago (6 children)
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Why do you assume that the person advocating to not be an asshole wouldn't be fun at parties?

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  • [–] -3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    you poor sweet thing. you might be the brightest crayon in the box but that blunt tip makes it hard to stay in the lines. (I mean this in the most positive way. not all crayons are perfect, and they don't need to be)

    I'll spoon feed it to you.

    you responded to a post asking for backhanded compliments by outright calling OP an asshole for asking for backhanded compliments and had the audacity to not even provide what OP asked for.

    I then took the opportunity to provide a tongue-in-cheek response that was a backhanded compliment and an appropriate response to someone who completely ignored the the whole point of the post.

    what you did was akin to walking up to a conversation between people at a party, interjecting when you felt offended by the content that you involved yourself in, and called everyone an asshole.

    what an asshole thing to do, right?

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Find reasons to agree with someone. Things like "You are so right", "I never thought of that", " I loved the way you put that", "I remember what you said x days/weeks/years ago; it still makes me smile/encourages me"...

    Few things are as uplifting as making someone else feel special. Be genuine about it and the recipients day (or more) will brighten.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    What do you think the word "backhanded" means?

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 1 year ago