Backhanded Compliments

[treekisser]

Growing up, we were constantly reminded to be polite and to say nice things about people. If you were like me, it did not take very long to recognize that such advice was not always easy to put into practice. More often than not, we meet people who defy compliments and the best we can do is say nothing at all. More imaginative souls practice the art of the "backhanded compliment", the creative art of delivering an insult dressed as a compliment.
One that I remember from many years ago was a compliment to a blind date: "For a fat person, you really don't sweat very much!"

Speaking of blind dates, I once had one tell me at the end of the evening. "I think you look very handsome in the dark." (P.S. I married her.)

OK, give me your best shots.

[YsaPur EsChomuw]

Originally Posted by treekisser

Growing up, we were constantly reminded to be polite and to say nice things about people.

I am shocked! Really, nobody's ever reminded me of that...

[Marcus Bales]

That's because you're so polite and say such nice things about people on a bulletin board where everyone can look up what's ever been said.

[YsaPur EsChomuw]

Originally Posted by Marcus Bales

That's because you're so polite and say such nice things about people on a bulletin board where everyone can look up what's ever been said.

*feels unsure* Is that a backhanded compliment?

What I meant was that although I'd been taught to be generally polite, no one ever taught me I had to say nice things about people.

[Veruki]

My grandmother has mastered the art of insulting people by complimenting someone else.
For example my cousin, who has curly hair (just like me),spends hours straightening them. My grandmother hates the fact that I love my curls, so she constantly mentions how pretty my cousin look with straight hair.
My favorite is when she told my fiance that he was the sweetest gentleman she had ever met, and that she would trade any of her sons for him. She said this in front of her three sons, loudly.

[Marcus Bales]

I'm not sure that's not a double-whammy backhander, Veruki -- after all, if she COULD trade him for one of her sons, then you wouldn't be able to marry him because, well, he'd be your brother! I think gramma is even meaner than you think.

[Veruki]

Are you drunk?? If my grandmother traded my fiance for one of her sons, he'd be my uncle, not my brother.

[Marcus Bales]

Originally Posted by Veruki

Are you drunk?? If my grandmother traded my fiance for one of her sons, he'd be my uncle, not my brother.

duh. you're right. either way, though, you couldn't marry him. so my point still stands: gramma may be meaner than you think.

[Frieda]

in the workplace: hey, you managed to look pretty decent for a cripple!

[Frieda]

also in the workplace: oh, you not taking that apple pie is because of your lactose intolerance.. i thought you weren't taking it because you were getting fat!

[treekisser]

You're a pretty good lover for a guy with a small penis.

[brightpearl]

Okay, I got one.

"Awww...Your baby looks just like you!"

[brightpearl]

Oh, for Pete's sake. I know nurses run the show; my point is that the doctors assumed I was in nursing school rather than pre-med merely because I am female. I could tell by their reactions that they were taken aback by the questions I was asking, and it was my instinct, especially after it happened repeatedly, that they only assumed nursing because of my gender. Although I don't think of nurses as less, particularly given what I do as a profession now, doctors often do, so my point is that they were being thoughtless in assuming I'd be in a profession that's primarily women instead of pursuing speciallization in a field that's primarily men. I was often asking them to justify their treatment decisions because I knew of side effects they preferred not to warn me about from the outset, and they were trying to put me in my place. It was their intent that made it rude.

Now let's go back to something fun.

eta: like this. This is fun. Brilliant, even.

[Brynn]

Ding ding ding! Yep. It is Texas after all.As a Texan, I can say that :-)

How about this one?
"For someone from Texas, you sure are smart!"

[treekisser]

I like your new jeans. It's great that you can get some stylish these days in the larger sizes.