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59 Intelligent Insults That People Didn’t Even Immediately Understand Were Meant To Offend
Most of us do everything we can to avoid offending other people. We try to be polite, pleasant, and kind to other humans, whether they’re a close friend or a stranger on the street. But occasionally, you might find yourself in a situation where a sharp tongue and a quick mind will come in handy. So if you’re looking to slip some brutal insults into your back pocket, you’ve come to the right place.
Netizens have recently been recalling the most intelligent and scathing insults they’ve ever heard, so we’ve compiled a list of them below. These roasts are so brilliant that they might fly completely over someone’s head or take a moment for them to understand, but that’s what makes them so beautiful. Enjoy scrolling through these Shakespearean-esque digs, and be sure to upvote the ones that you’d love to dish out in the future!
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#1
The prime minister of NZ : the annual migration of NZers to Australia raises the average IQ of both countries.
RELATED:
#3
From the TV show What We Do In The Shadows: "He's blessedly unburdened with the complications of a university education.".
#4
From" TheJeffersons". TV show. I believe the maid says to Mr. Jefferson, "That's not the stupidest thing I'll ever hear because you will keep talking". Made a big impression on me as a kid.
#5
• Rose: "Can I ask a dumb question?"
• Dorothy: "Better than anyone I know.”.
#8
My top 3 favourates:
I am impressed with your commitment to your current level of understanding.
You're remarkably hard to underestimate.
Somewhere in an attic, there is a portrait of you getting smarter.
#9
I once overheard someone say "you have the perfect face for radio" and it sailed right past me until I was three blocks away. The delayed sting was almost worse than if I'd caught it immediately.
#10
David Simon (creator of The Wire) to Florida congressman Anthony Sabatini who suggested in a Twitter post about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse that "DEI did this":
“Your mother did you, but after a hard life of service on a truck-stop lot, can we really hold her loosened, battered womb responsible for dropping you head-first on the Winnebago floor and burdening our society with another empty, racist demagogue thereafter? We cannot.”.
#11
Well aren't you just at the top of the bell curve.
#12
Gore Vidal got punched out by Norman Mailer at a party for writing a bad review of a Mailer book.
From the floor: “Once again, words have failed Norman Mailer.”.
#14
I'll see you later!
Not if I see you first.
I was pretty young when I heard that so I didn't realize the scenario was the second person saying "If I see you coming, I'll hide to avoid you seeing me so I don't have to talk to you.".
#15
I'm glad you think it makes you look better - my DIL to me after I got a haircut that I liked.
#16
For coworkers:
Boy, you sure make this look hard.
Bud, I'm going to claim you as a dependant on my tax return.
To an apprentice: one day you are going to make a great apprentice.
#17
From the TV show Firefly: "My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.".
#18
One that has always stuck with me was the time I heard my roommates jokingly complaining about each other. One had long hair and a beard and was pretty chill so we called him Jesus. The other roommate said, loud enough for the entire apartment to hear, "Jesus left all of his dishes in the sink ... and he turned all of our water into wine!"
Not missing a beat from the other room, Jesus' voice echoed "sounds like you turned your tone into whine"
It took my other roommate a solid 5 seconds to process what was said and meant. Then he just deflated at the realization that he set himself up for that comeback. Jesus came out and put his dishes away.
#19
Churchill's famous assessment of one of his portraits was that is was a "remarkable example of modern art". He hated it so much he had it burned.
#20
One I have used to describe someone:
"It is entirely true to say that he would win a philosophical debate with a common house brick. However an impartial observer would note that the victory was not an easy one.".
#21
Took me like 30 years to fully understand this line from The Lion King:
"I know that your powers of retention are as wet as a warthog's backside"
Aka "y'all got potatoes for brains".
#22
"That young girl is one of the least benightedly unintelligent organic life forms it has been my profound lack of pleasure not to be able to avoid meeting."
-Marvin The Paranoid Android giving a backhanded compliment.
#23
Overheard in a meeting, "i think we should all take a moment to appreciate how confident you are about that." took the bloke twenty minutes and a coffee break.
#24
> I guess you only know the abridged version of Descartes.
Was not smart enough to understand that one when I overheard it to be honest, till my friend repeated "I think, therefore...you know it right?".
#26
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain it to you.
#27
After the subject finished a several-minutes rant where they clearly had no idea what they were talking about:
"I do admire your confidence.".
#28
Composer Max Reiger's response to a vicious critique:
"I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. Your review is before me. Soon it will be behind me.".
#30
When I was younger, must have been around 16 just finished comprehensive school, I walked into a local surf shop and the owner offered me a job right then and there. I took the job and worked there for a few months until I was fired for whatever reason. About a year later I bumped into the owner (it was a local club, he was alone and wasted) and he said, “You were hired on looks and you were fired on looks”, and I still don’t quite get it 😅.
#31
A drunk guy was once hitting on my coworker at the bar/restaurant we worked wt. When she politely rejected him he got all bent out of shape. He was giving her a hard time after that. I cant remember exactly what he said, but something like, "you sure you should be wearing those low rise jeans? They give you a muffin top. Most women cant pull that off."
Without missing a beat, "well, you dont have the face, body or personality to pull off the level entitlement it takes to tell a woman what she should be wearing, but here we are." The table of guys he was with absolutely erupted with laughter. I dont think the dude quite got it. He looked like he was still trying to figure it out as she walked away.
But also, a woman shouldnt have to drop Eminem level comebacks before the entire table of men a harasser is with finally decides she deserves respect and steps in.
#32
“What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”.
#33
Describing an incompetent collegue who didn't understand a basic concept: "The gates are down... the lights are flashing... but the train ain't commin'...".
#36
We were waiting to get off a plane and an older man said to another across the aisle "hey, I want to hold onto this book as I'm not quite done with it". The other man quickly retorted " I thought so, there are some big words in it ".
#37
Chef told my kitchen that they were as useless as a slinky. Not good for anything, but it still brings a smile to your face when you kick them down the stairs.
#38
I've only said "Look, a distraction!" once and it worked immediately. The best part was the person's face as he turned back to glare at me.
#39
I've always liked 'If you were half as smart as you think you are, you'd be twice as smart as you are' because it makes everyone stop and do the algebra in their head. Including me making sure that I said it right.
#40
I would buy you at my estimation of you, and sell you at yours, and I'd make a handsome profit.
#41
He has Van Gogh's ear for music."
You hear it and think art reference - oh, nice. Then you remember Van Gogh... cut off his own ear. Meaning he's tone deaf.
#42
One day I was working in the office and went to the break room for a snack. There were few others in there, small talking and laughing. Then the door swung open, and in marched Marjory. Marjory was universally disliked. She ran over people like that big rock ball in Raiders of the Lost Ark. She was a large lady with a bad attitude. We all hunkered down waiting for the inevitable storm. But no, right behind Marjory was our boss, Ms. Watkings. The boss said hello and walked to the coffee pot to get a cup. Marjory started needling with the sticky sweet "Hello's". Almost daring anyone to say anything. Ms. Watkins turned on her heel, coffee in hand and said,"Ah, sweet, little MaryAnn." Marjory huffed a reply,"I'm NOT MaryAnn." And the boss looked that woman straight in the eyes and said," I know." and walked out.
#48
Someone told me "you're the reason God created the middle finger" and i laughed for a solid 10 seconds before it hit me that i was the only one laughing.
#50
I read a letter of recommendation that was actually a warning. It used phrases like "I can't recommend George too highly" and "We are thrilled to see him move on".
#51
Talking to you is like reading the terms and conditions: I know I should stop, but I keep hoping there’s something useful at the end.
#52
I was in college, goofing around in a target (probably riding a cart) and a friend of mine heard the customer service counter guy say, "Oh look, the poster child for birth control".
#53
My wife explained a Vietnamese phrase to me, essentially “who told you to do that?” Saying this to someone after they made an entirely independent decision that was a bad one, like they could only have done it if someone gave them awful advice.
#56
"... I was going to jokingly insult you, but I couldn't think of anything that wasn't true.".
#57
“You’re the kind of person that has to look at both earbuds before putting them in”
After putting in “L”, only an idiot would have to verify the other said “R” before putting it in.
#58
A coworker once told another colleague, mid-argument: "If brains were dynamite, you wouldn't have enough to blow your nose." Everyone in the room went quiet for about three seconds while it landed. It's not even that clever on paper, but delivered at exactly the right moment it cut like a scalpel.
#59
I've always wanted to use the insult, "Man, your brain is sure smooth." to see if they get it or not.
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