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.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
    30·
    2 days 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.

  • themadcodger@kbin.earth
    424·
    2 days ago

    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.”
  • cRazi_man@europe.pub
    3·
    2 days 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.

  • gramie@lemmy.ca
    182·
    2 days 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”

    • Zachariah@lemmy.worldOP
      5·
      1 day ago

      this is one fits what I had in mind the closest

      especially since alright can mean good or mediocre

      • Almacca@aussie.zoneEnglish
        41·
        23 hours ago

        You can add a bit of extra zing by using ‘everyone else’ instead of ‘anyone’.

    • Zachariah@lemmy.worldOP
      111·
      2 days ago

      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.

      • Perspectivist@feddit.uk
        7·
        2 days ago

        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.

        • Lyrl@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          3·
          1 day 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.

        • Zachariah@lemmy.worldOP
          5·
          2 days ago

          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.

          • moondoggie@lemmy.worldEnglish
            9·
            2 days ago

            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.

            • Passerby6497@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              1 day 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.

      • glimse@lemmy.world
        101·
        2 days ago

        “I bet you’re fun at parties”

        No one who says that is fun at parties

        • GreenKnight23@lemmy.world
          12·
          2 days ago

          I’m a blast. not really fair though, I don’t associate myself with assholes so every party is a blast.

      • Perspectivist@feddit.uk
        42·
        2 days ago

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

        • GreenKnight23@lemmy.world
          25·
          2 days ago

          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?

          • Perspectivist@feddit.uk
            32·
            2 days ago

            I suggest that in the future you save the condescension for the end, not the start, if you want the recipient to actually finish reading your message.

            • GreenKnight23@lemmy.world
              23·
              2 days ago

              couldn’t care less if you read it or not.

              you asked for me to explain myself, I did.

              read it. don’t read it.

              1000002033