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.
“I love how you can just wear whatever.”
I like to say “don’t flatter yourself” when somebody says something self-demeaning
“I don’t care what anyone says, I think you’re alright.”
this is one fits what I had in mind the closest
especially since alright can mean good or mediocre
You can add a bit of extra zing by using ‘everyone else’ instead of ‘anyone’.
This could be one: https://lemmy.world/post/36281961
You seem like management material.
Like middle management if you want to get extra spicy and yet still subtle
Try to channel your best Ron Swanson while saying it.
You’re at the top of the bell curve!
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.
Which always reminds me of a saying: When you’re trying to comprehend human behavior you need to remember how dumb the average human is… Then remember that half of humans are dumber than that.
George Carlin!
I like that one!
“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?”
It’s a good thing you’re pretty.
“I hope the rest of your day is as pleasant as you are”
Awe thanks!
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.”
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“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”
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- “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.”
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“Don’t underestimate me.” “I couldn’t possibly.”
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- “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.”
How are any of these SUBTLE
I think that greatly depends on to whom you are speaking.
You could hide your own Easter eggs.
Actually lol’d at this one. After snorting that is.
Everything anyone said about you is too kind.
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.
You remind me of myself
“You remind me of you when I was your age.”
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That one just seems meaningless.
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Where I’m from it’s a nice thing to say, sort of like saying thank you. It’s basically the same as saying “god bless you”. Regional differences are fun!
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it’s also synonymous with “you’re a fucking idiot, stop talking”
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Yeah I know (not familiar with the precise connotations but the general concept at least.)
I don’t see why it would be a compliment in any way, at most it would just be confusing.
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It’s not a compliment, but it is a backhanded comment. My grade for the commenter? 50%. Didn’t understand the assignment, but tried anyway.
I can’t edit my comment for some reason so…
Edit: bless their heart
You too? Haven’t been able to edit for a couple of weeks. I think it has to do with a ban on some comm.
It’s about 50/50 if I can edit in the web UI, but I haven’t been able to edit from Voyager for at least a few weeks
I can be more than a little annoying at times. Wouldn’t surprise me if this was the reason lol
My experience is it’s used as “go fuck yourself” when it’s coming from strangers or people trying to place themselves as superior. In more familiar relationships, it can also can be used to express sympathy (especially about pain or difficult circumstances), as thanks, or to communicate you’ve misunderstood something (but it’s okay that you did).
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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”.
I also just remembered that I later told him he’s got to put his foot down on some issue his job was complaining about.
“Wow you look good today.”
I had someone tell a coworker “you look better” when he was trying to give a compliment, and it came out so uncomplimentary we were all laughing when he left.
It may be backhanded or not
I think it’s backhanded because it implies that the person doesn’t usually look good any other day.
“I love that you’re not afraid to say just whatever comes to you.”
