Let's talk about Polite insults

  • Thread starter Thread starter adamhovey1988
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

adamhovey1988

Guest
I don’t know why, but I want to talk about polite insults. Here in the American south “bless your heart” is a common one.
 
Bless your heart for coming up with this topic 😆. I don’t really know of many others; most are or border more strongly on sarcasm. How about, “he/she means well”.
 
Not really an insult, but my favorite utterance from the US South is, “Well ain’t that nice.” With a pleasant smile, I can think of no nicer way of saying, “Who the heck cares??”
 
Last edited:
Oh! Here’s one I loathe to hear - “Don’t take this the wrong way…”
 
That’s a bit like saying “no offense”, and then proceeding to offend someone
 
That sounds very Texan, that sounds like something someone from Texas would say, I’ve never been to Texas but I’ve met a lot of people from there, and literally half of my ex-girlfriends were born there, Texans got like their own little thing going there. I’m not sure if that is a Texan phrase but I would imagine they have a lot of them
 
“Well, isn’t that special.” Said as a statement, not a question.
 
“History will prove your true worth.”
(Also good for politicians)
 
“He thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips.”

Commenting on some prideful people.
 
I know --but not so much in the North, where it tends to be used perfectly seriously and as a kindness. When I moved down South it was hard to realize that when somebody used the phrase they were actually insulting another, and after I had to return to the tundra, it took a long time for me to be able to realize that back in the Deep Nawth it was once again meant kindly!!!
 
Or, “she has a GREAT personality” (the converse).

For guys, “He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer”.
 
This one requires context because this phrase isn’t always seen as a polite insult.

My Mom as talking to our neighbor’s relative, who is protestant, and she asked my Mom what she was. When my Mom responded “Catholic”, the woman said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll pray for you.”
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top