If you’re anything like us, dear Pandas, you might overthink some of the things people tell you. You might be constantly looking for hidden messages between the lines or trying to interpret what someone else _really_ meant. There might be a voice in the back of your head telling you, ‘What if we got it completely backward?!’ Most of the time, there’s nothing to interpret. But ‘most of the time’ isn’t ‘always.’
Sometimes, the people we speak to really do sprinkle some subtle hints throughout the conversation to let you know how they really feel about you. And what seemed like a kind remark might actually make you take offense the longer you think about it. A bunch of redditors shared some of the most creative insults that sound like genuine compliments.
Scroll down for the best of the bunch, upvote your fave hidden insults, and grab some inspiration in case you need it in the future. While you’re sharpening your comedic wit, let us know in the comments which of these posts you thought was the most creative. Ours has to be, “You are impossible to underestimate.” Ouch!
We got in touch with British comedy writer Ariane Sherine, the author of 'The How of Happy,' for her opinion about insults that sound like compliments. You'll find the insights that she shared with Bored Panda below.
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The classic: "I hope your day is as pleasant as you are."
This is coming from a retail worker to a Full Karen.
Universal phrase to use. Nice people get "Have a nice day", Bad get "burn in hell"
I was rude to a telemarketer once- she told me to have a better day. Ever since then, I've tried to be more polite because their job must truly suck.
The expression “Karen” is a slur. Please use different language to communicate that thought.
Thank you Denise. It’s kind of funny though how the people that constantly call other people that word, are just as bad as the ones they are calling out. My name is Karen and the hate I get in real life when I give my name is discouraging and depressing.
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This is a twist on the Irish insult "May your life be as pleasant as you are."
My grandma always says people are "good and kind" when they get on her nerves. They think shes a sweet old lady, when shes really saying they're "good for nothing and kinda stupid". I got it engraved on a mug for her
"you talk so eloquently" "you speak so well" towards a black person as if we all talk like we're from the depths of the hood
I'm impressed when any person of any race speaks eloquently these days.
Bored Panda reached out to comedy writer Ariane, from the UK, for a chat about insults that masquerade as compliments. She also shared what you should do if you want to give someone a genuine compliment, too!
We were curious to get the humor expert's opinion on what lies at the core of creative and stylish insults. Subtlety, according to Ariane, is what's most important.
"I think it's the subtle implication that the person you're insulting has got it completely wrong," she said.
"I remember when a boyfriend's mother smiled at my satin skirt and sighed, 'Satin is a terribly unforgiving fabric, isn't it?!' But it's couched in such a way that taking offense at it looks like an overreaction," Ariane shared a story from her past with us.
Frankly, we have no clue how to counter such a comment! We impulsively want to nod and agree that, yes, it really is a terribly unforgiving fabric. We hope one day to reach this level of subtlety (we promise we won't use this power for evil).
"See you later!"
"Not if I see you first!"
I always thought it was just a cheesy response, but no - the implication is that if you see the other person, **you bail before they see you.**
"And I'm thinking *you weren't* burdened with an overabundance of schooling."
~ Malcom Reynolds
I got a 4 year Mathematics degree in 6 years so right away it wasn't adding up.
Comedy writer Ariane told Bored Panda that the key to finding the right balance between humor and meanness in these sorts of subtle insults is to "appear to be sweet then switch to barbed humor."
However, life's not just about insults. Look, it's nice to be nice. And though some people might not know how to take compliments, it still feels awesome to hand them out from time to time. So long as they're genuine, of course! We wanted to get the comedy expert's opinion on how to approach complimenting others. She noted that it's best to avoid vagueness.
"I would say it's specificity," Ariane, the author of 'The How of Happy,' told us the secret to a really good compliment.
"Instead of just saying 'I like your dress,' which anyone can do, go into detail and talk about the pattern or the fabric. Similarly, if you're complimenting someone's character, instead of saying 'you're so kind,' give an example of why or when they were kind. Backing it up with examples and evidence shows that it isn't just a hollow compliment.
You're much smarter than you look.
My uncle once said to me 'Nice tattoo, did you do it yourself?'
It's on my back.
The r/AskReddit thread about subtle insults was wildly popular. It got over 63.7k upvotes, and really got people’s noggins jogging. Some people simply reported the best ‘compliments’ they’d overheard before. Others, however, took a stab at coming up with their own.
Whatever the actual source of the insults, the amount of creativity is pretty darn impressive here. Who needs swear words, huffing and puffing, and an angry tone when you can do so much emotional damage with just a simple comment? The beauty of it is, the person might not even realize they’d been insulted until they’re rerunning the conversation in their minds a few days later! They might have actually thought that being “at the top of the bell curve” was something good.
One problem with the r/AskReddit thread is that it might make you wary of any and all compliments you get in the near future. Heck, we won’t ever look at the words, “Good for you!” the same way again.
The phrase used to sound supportive. Encouraging. Motivating! Now, it’s going to make us go into full Detective Mode, trying to figure out if someone’s secretly mocking us.
“You look.... healthy” where I’m from, the nice way of saying someone has gotten fat.
You're pretty for a big girl
Theses are obviously ppl that have never been hit in the mouth. Like bigger ppl don't have enough to deal with.
You look so pretty with your makeup on. Like, a totally different person!
However, the beauty of these subtle insults is that even if you do figure them out for what they are, you’re still free to react to them as you wish. Sure, you could get all angry and start slinging phrases like, “Well, I never!” or, “How dare you?!”
But where’s the fun in that? Instead, try taking the ‘compliment’ as an actual compliment. You know what? Yeah, good for me! Yes, it really is brave of me to try on this outfit. And the view from the top of the bell curve is pretty nice—it can be enjoyable to be average. Lean into the insult. Make it work for you!
Or, if you happen to have a rapier-like wit and you happen to catch the insult/compliment as it leaves the person’s lips, you can try hitting back with a comeback. Go for something subtly malicious as well. Show them what you’re capable of.
I was doing a timed work skills test a month into a new job and it took me forever so he let me do it again. It took just as long the second time and he said, "Well... at least you're consistent."
Trying to un-awkward a situation is ok, even if you don't do it very well.
I love how you just wear anything
Said the jealous woman to her “best friend.” Passive aggressive at its finest.
I don’t care what everybody else says, I think you’re pretty cool.
“I bet she was beautiful 20 years ago”
You carry your weight well. Said to me by a much thinner friend.
In the line at Walmart there was an old lady and a man trying to figure out how much money they needed to pay and when I said the amount, He told me that I was pretty smart for being a girl.
f**k that idiot. Ask him if he'd heard of marie curie. Only three nobel prizes
Friends and I do this thing where you add the word "actually" to an otherwise normal complement in order to make it backhanded (e. g. "hey you're actually pretty smart")
You have a unique face
In the age of photoshop and filters galore this one might not be so bad…
I love how you just don't care how you look.
I could never do that I'd feel too awkward.
I love what you're trying to do with your hair...
You always look so comfortable!
Honestly, being offended about this goes away as you get older. Yes, I always look comfortable. I am no longer willing to be uncomfortable so that you think I look pleasant. I have not worn heels in 10 years.
I'm amazed you managed that. They think it's a compliment, while your wondering how they are still breathing without a hourly reminder.
You're at the very top of the bell curve!!
Implying you're just *average*. Telling someone they're on the lower right side of the curve however.. That means you're among the top 1% of whatever.
"Well, you aren't THAT fat."
😠 whoever said this to you, or whoever said this to anybody… 🖕U (is that even the middle finger… lol)
My grandma used to tell us that if you ever met an ugly baby you should said “wow that is SOME BABY”
“You look so pretty I didn’t even recognize you.” My mom said that to me one day when I was leaving for high school. She totally didn’t mean it to be an insult, but I felt that one.
You have so much potential!
You’re pretty for a __________
Black girl. And I really don't get how some people still see this as a compliment.
"You've lost weight" No I haven't, you just remember me as being fatter/heavier than I actually am...
Thanks for coming! You know, you really didn’t have to.
I say this when I feel like I'm inconveniencing someone even though I'm truly grateful that they're there
"Wow! My grandma would love that outfit!"
This could be a huge compliment. Granny chic is a thing these days. Think rich millennial and middle age women from the east coast. It’s like a dress code. “Business casual?” “No, coastal granny chic.”
Good for you!
Said with the right amount of enthusiasm has very entertaining results as you watch their face change in realisation after saying thanks
I once got "you're gonna be really handsome once you get older" from a cute chick. Still hurts.
How can we gauge this comment if we don't know how old you were when she said it to you? Were you 10? Or were you 18? Big difference.
“You have a very prominent nose”
“Your skin has gotten so much better”
My nose is actually super f****d up tho. It's really big and hooked and generally very ugly. I'll never have the money but I always wish I could get a nose job
To my friend: you have cooler friends than I do.
I don't get this. What is insulting about having cooler friends?
My wife once said “i just love your cute little way of living” with total sincerity
That's when you reply that it's "our cute little way of living, honey!"
"You're thinking of hiring him? No one would be a better choice.."
Is that to say theater hiring no one would be a better choice, or that no one could be a better choice than him?
"At least you tried your best"
You look handsome with that mask!
You haven't changed a bit!
i always took that as a compliment. guess you have to be older to appreciate that one
"You clean up nice"
Like you're saying I don't look good any other day??
I've only ever heard this as a compliment to someone who doesn't usually get dressed up. It's not a put down
“I bet you spent a lot of time thinking that one through”
Implying whatever was said or done was of poor quality and bringing into question their intelligence as it took a while to think up a poor plan.
"You are the funniest person you know."
I like to use that on strangers who are sarcastic to me.
They usually come back with yup and a s**t eating grin.
Your hair is just so unique!
“You have such unconventional beauty”
I get this a lot, it feels like a nice way of saying ugly lmao
When people see my sixth grade school photo they comment “you look... happy”
Mine too. I think it is just that once you reach 7th or 8th grade you start to realise the world is a cold brutal uncaring place where you exist to suffer and die, that you stop smiling. Lol.
You really are something else
I get told this a lot. I take it as praise. It means you are unconventional and or annoying. That's fine.
"I must go now. Talking with you has been *mostly* enjoyable."
I feel like I read that in Wednesday Addams's voice and it makes me just like her more. lol.
You look good today
When you have a s****y interaction with a customer say “I hope you have the day you deserve.”
I hope your day is as good as you look!
You're the kind of woman that Van Gogh would cut an ear off for.
Isn't that ok? It means you are a low-income sex worker but you are so inspiring that someone would self-mutilate for you?
i'll pray for you
When people brag, boast or try to convince me they’re this or that (regardless of what I see of them on my own) I always reply with “Interesting” and/or occasionally follow up with “how’s that working out for you?.”
Did you REALLY do that?
You look different today. This one annoys me so much. I mean like do i look better than yesterday or just better in general**?** Or do I look worse than yesterday**?** Like what do yall mean by that**?** idk
No one could possibly think more highly of you than I do.
I see this as meaning I love them very much..? It doesn't have to be bad.
They remindme more of lines like, "Kid, you got the face to be a radio star"
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If you're a confident person, most of these shouldn't affect you. You can always reply "It's sweet that you think your opinion matters". Because, in the end, that's what it's about. Someone's opinion about how you do things. And if you don't care about their opinions, these insults have no bite.
Off topic, are there Bored Panda readers that go through comments and just downvote everything? Asking because there are some innocuous comments with negative numbers...
Unfortunately it seems that is so. I often upvote such posts.
Load More Replies... Foster mother looking at a childhood picture of me, "You were such a pretty little girl. What happened?" She could be a real b***h.
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception." - Groucho
When I moved from one engineering department to another that was more highly regarded, one of the engineers at the new location told me that both organisations had experienced a reduction in average IQ.
One of the worst things that people say is "ooh, you've lost weight". They might *think* they're paying you a compliment, but in fact they're saying that you were previously far. It's incredibly hurtful when you think about it.
Many of these comments remind me of things my relatives say to me.🤔
My high school basketball team was not very good. Late in the season we had only 1 win and were losing to the team we had beaten early in the season. At halftime, the coach yelled, "even YOU GUYS aren't this bad!" We came back to win.
This illustrates my point. a dramatic complaint or long winded rant does not help your cause or move social progress forward. You have to sound logical and calm or you will not be taken seriously.
Acompanying your singing on the piaono was a bit tricky, due to your creative use of key changes, that was a tad difficult for me to predict in advance.
Some folks are just 'whoosh' all the time. A misinterpretation is that insults are always for the negative. In the cliques I hung, the idea was to get you to 'kick back' to be allowed entry. It other words you had to be able to take it as well as give it, or you were out. Some of the best coffee/lunch breaks I ever enjoyed was with a small group of people slinging mud at each other just for the fun of it.
my personal favorite is just critique insults. someone being an a*s online? tell them they could do better! you got this!
Good afternoon, anyone? (Just saw Spirited with Ferrell and Reynolds)
"You really don't care what anybody else thinks of you, do you? I admire that." I've had that one once, brutal.
I'm my early twenties, i had this friend who has this mom who always have these kinds of comments. One day my friend was asking what she thought of his friends (us). 2 of us got "oh they are very handsome" but the 3rd friend got "that other one is a sweet boy". Always cracked us up that she singled him out like that.
Just decide to take EVERYTHING as a compliment even if it is really meant as an insult. You are completely ruining the fun of all the people that try to hurt you...
It's a contraction of here are, you genius. Even I know that and English is not my native language.
Load More Replies... They remindme more of lines like, "Kid, you got the face to be a radio star"
Load More Replies... If you're a confident person, most of these shouldn't affect you. You can always reply "It's sweet that you think your opinion matters". Because, in the end, that's what it's about. Someone's opinion about how you do things. And if you don't care about their opinions, these insults have no bite.
Off topic, are there Bored Panda readers that go through comments and just downvote everything? Asking because there are some innocuous comments with negative numbers...
Unfortunately it seems that is so. I often upvote such posts.
Load More Replies... Foster mother looking at a childhood picture of me, "You were such a pretty little girl. What happened?" She could be a real b***h.
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception." - Groucho
When I moved from one engineering department to another that was more highly regarded, one of the engineers at the new location told me that both organisations had experienced a reduction in average IQ.
One of the worst things that people say is "ooh, you've lost weight". They might *think* they're paying you a compliment, but in fact they're saying that you were previously far. It's incredibly hurtful when you think about it.
Many of these comments remind me of things my relatives say to me.🤔
My high school basketball team was not very good. Late in the season we had only 1 win and were losing to the team we had beaten early in the season. At halftime, the coach yelled, "even YOU GUYS aren't this bad!" We came back to win.
This illustrates my point. a dramatic complaint or long winded rant does not help your cause or move social progress forward. You have to sound logical and calm or you will not be taken seriously.
Acompanying your singing on the piaono was a bit tricky, due to your creative use of key changes, that was a tad difficult for me to predict in advance.
Some folks are just 'whoosh' all the time. A misinterpretation is that insults are always for the negative. In the cliques I hung, the idea was to get you to 'kick back' to be allowed entry. It other words you had to be able to take it as well as give it, or you were out. Some of the best coffee/lunch breaks I ever enjoyed was with a small group of people slinging mud at each other just for the fun of it.
my personal favorite is just critique insults. someone being an a*s online? tell them they could do better! you got this!
Good afternoon, anyone? (Just saw Spirited with Ferrell and Reynolds)
"You really don't care what anybody else thinks of you, do you? I admire that." I've had that one once, brutal.
I'm my early twenties, i had this friend who has this mom who always have these kinds of comments. One day my friend was asking what she thought of his friends (us). 2 of us got "oh they are very handsome" but the 3rd friend got "that other one is a sweet boy". Always cracked us up that she singled him out like that.
Just decide to take EVERYTHING as a compliment even if it is really meant as an insult. You are completely ruining the fun of all the people that try to hurt you...
It's a contraction of here are, you genius. Even I know that and English is not my native language.
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