this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2025
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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.

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[–] HollowNaught@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

I like to say "don't flatter yourself" when somebody says something self-demeaning

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago
[–] bender223@lemmy.today 9 points 1 day ago

"I love how you can just wear whatever."

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"I don't care what anyone says, I think you're alright."

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

this is one fits what I had in mind the closest

especially since alright can mean good or mediocre

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago

You can add a bit of extra zing by using 'everyone else' instead of 'anyone'.

[–] RaoulDuke85@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago

See you later!

Not if I see you first.

[–] Octavio@lemmy.world 16 points 2 days ago

"I love that you're not afraid to say just whatever comes to you."

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 days ago (3 children)

The ol uncle Iroh

"Wisdom has been chasing you all your life but you have always been faster"

Bad sarcasm me and my friends do

Any response to "ive been thinking" that is shocked. Like "Wow. And?" Or "good for you"

or any form of "yeah, youre getting there"

Basically rember that perfection is impossible and that comparison is the thief of joy but be a dick lol

[–] TheDoozer@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Any response to "ive been thinking"

I usually quickly respond "you okay?" in a concerned tone.

I'm sure both of you enjoy that joke

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Whenever my wife says anything along the lines of “I’ve been thinking”, my go-to response is always “do I need to call the church?”

[–] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 days ago

One I came across in a novel I'm reading just now: "I wanted to tell her how happy she must be as a married woman now that she no longer have to bother with looking attractive".

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 93 points 3 days ago (2 children)

You seem like management material.

[–] HurlingDurling@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Like middle management if you want to get extra spicy and yet still subtle

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 3 points 2 days ago

Try to channel your best Ron Swanson while saying it.

[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 83 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You're at the top of the bell curve!

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Nibodhika@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

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.

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[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

This works only in Dutch. I used to work in the service industry, where every now and then you'd have rude or ungrateful people.

In Dutch, the formal way of saying 'thank you' is 'Dank u', but that's very close in pronunciation to French 'dans cul', meaning 'in the ass'.

So with people I secretly loathed I would thank them with an ever so slight French twang.

[–] hector@lemmy.today 2 points 1 day ago

In the Southern United States men will do this with Northern men passing through. Mumbling yes ma'am instead of yes man.

Real cuntish if you ask me, I think they need a taste of their own medicine.

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

that’s great

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 61 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"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?"

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 days ago

It's a good thing you're pretty.

[–] themadcodger@kbin.earth 39 points 2 days ago (3 children)

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."
  • "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"

  • “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."
    • "Don't underestimate me." "I couldn't possibly."

  • "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."
[–] Siethron@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How are any of these SUBTLE

[–] themadcodger@kbin.earth 3 points 1 day ago

I think that greatly depends on to whom you are speaking.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 19 points 2 days ago

You could hide your own Easter eggs.

Actually lol'd at this one. After snorting that is.

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[–] gramie@lemmy.ca 16 points 2 days ago

Well, not terribly subtle, but if you are fighting with your spouse and they complain that you never say anything nice about their family, you can respond with:

"Well, I have to say that your in-laws are better than my in-laws"

[–] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 51 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"I hope the rest of your day is as pleasant as you are"

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 7 points 2 days ago

You're excused

[–] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 30 points 3 days ago

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.

[–] supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 24 points 3 days ago (1 children)
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[–] bizarroland@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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".

[–] bizarroland@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

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.

[–] floo@retrolemmy.com 19 points 3 days ago (11 children)
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[–] fluxion@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago (3 children)

"Wow you look good today."

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[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

(i subtlety downvoted you)

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

And misspelled "subtly"? You're really typing with both fists today!

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago

Me do good?

[–] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 days ago

I envy those who have never met you

Good go to

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