Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Their All-Time Favorite Polite Insults

People Share Their All-Time Favorite Polite Insults
Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay
Make us preferred on Google

Sometimes, you just have to say it. You're in the presence of someone wildly hard-headed, misguided, self-absorbed, or just plain arrogant. And they're just going on and on.


You can't imagine letting this person leave this interaction without any awareness of their behavior. They need to be told and, ideally, pushed to reflect.

And yet you do not enjoy conflict. In fact, you avoid it whenever possible. These two facts--a loudmouth and pacifism--create a tiresome impasse.

But there is a solution. It's the ideal comment to hover right in that sweet spot where true conflict isn't stirred but annoyance is nonetheless expressed. It's the polite insult.

The polite insult is difficult to master but a worthy tool in your arsenal as you navigate a world full of all kinds of people. On the outside, it's nice enough to remain in the friendly tone of most interactions. And yet, if the person really thinks about it, there is no doubt what is conveyed.

Lucky for us, a Reddit thread pulled together the best of them.

Lampy5 asked, "What is your favorite polite insult?"

Fingers Crossed for Karma

"I hope your day is as pleasant as you are." -- llcucf80

"Its a solid insult for working retail because odds are they figure out what you mean while they are in the car driving away." -- runawaytoaster

"This is a staple sentence as a server/bartender" -- SpicySoggypickle

Someone's Gotta Keep Things In Check

"I'd agree with you but then we'd both be wrong." -- Oniwaban9

"Definitely using this one" -- umasa001

"I'd agree thats a good insult, but then we'd both be wrong...No, it actually is a good one, I just wanted to use it on u xD" -- kegegeam

"DUH"

"As per my last email..." -- TipsyPeanuts

"I once got a very nasty email from our admin staff that one of my time sheets had not been sent in, and it needed to be sent in IMMEDIATELY or the world would end. So I forwarded the same email I had sent them last week that had everything attached" -- PM_UR_NUDES_LADIES

Never Good to Be Quaint

"Well aren't you precious? (soft, super-condescending smile here)" -- Unknown_system_error

"Aww bless your heart." -- billybobjimmyjoe

"This all the way." -- ChangetheGame20

"It's more like 'you poor idiot,' or 'it must be hard being that stupid'" -- _PM_ME_YOUR_SYNTAX

Casting Doubt

"When somebody compliments themselves, I'll ask 'Who told you that?'" -- msb41

"Brutal" -- Krissy_loo

"And if the stars align, they say 'My mom,' to which you can say, 'ah yes, she just wants you to be happy.'" -- im_dead_sirius

Hovering Nicely in the Bell Curve 

"It's nice that you're so ordinary." -- ReaverRogue

"You look like you'd be easy to draw." -- wesontap

"This made me chuckle! Love it." -- THE_Lena

Utter Neutrality

"'Yeah, that's an idea' if I can't genuinely say it's a good idea." -- KiloRomeo0588

"'That's a... unique idea' is my go to" -- Sethrial

Odorless, Tasteless, Featureless

"If you were a spice, you would be flour." -- ItsYourBoyReckster

"That wasn't polite, that was f***ing heartless. Ouch, I wanna try it out." -- 2HrsOnTheName

All About Tone

"'good for you' said in the right condescending tone." -- immajustgooglethat

"Want a cookie works well" -- AMouse82

"'If you say so' is - I believe - the English equivalent." -- christianunionist

Take a Load Off

"'He was never overburdened by intelligence.'" -- DrumlineFreak

"Cant remember who but someone said about George bush 'he was a humble man with much to be humble about'" -- woosterthunkit

Poorly Adjusted

"Who ties your shoelaces for you?"

"What colour is the sky in your world?"

"Do you have someone who looks after you?"

-- Rufus_Everard

Keeping it Neutral 

"'Look at that face'"

"My ex-husband (we were married at the time) had friends who had a baby right after ours was born. I went to visit and commiserate about newborns with the wife."

"She brought out the baby and...well all I could say was 'look at that face' because while I find babies weird looking (even my own) as newborns, this one was...well...idk I feel bad saying it but fugly"

-- TitusLemonades

Nudging Them to Awareness

"'Oh, you're welcome!'"

"(Me pretending like I heard them say 'thank you' when they're just ungrateful.)"

-- thunder_spears

Unsolicited Support

"I don't care what they say about you, you're ok" -- vhfdthcfjvff

"This one's pure evil, and it's why I love it so much." -- addictivemischief

Just Posh Enough to Throw Off the Scent

"'One hardly speaks of such things'"

"My standard response to anyone who asks a question about something that is none of their damn business."

-- kalee28

BUB

"Calling someone 'bud'" -- bigaus25

"This or 'bub' 'Hey I got some issues for you to deal with today bub. You and and young bucks out there should be able to handle it bub!'" -- FupaSmacker

"i feel like when dads do it its more... reassuring..? idk just dads give off a certain energy." -- Longjumping_Diamond5

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Millie Bobby Brown on 'Celebrity Substitute'
@celebritysubstitute/TikTok

Millie Bobby Brown Praised For Changing Her Accent Mid-Conversation While Speaking With Kids So They Could Understand Her Better

You can tell a lot by how people interact with children, and Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has wowed viewers with her recent interaction with a group of children while giving them a mini-lesson on film acting.

While guest-starring on the Celebrity Substitute series, Brown sat down with a group of young children to talk about a few basic terms found in film acting, including "action" and knowing your "mark."

Keep ReadingShow less
Elderly man smacking a Cubs spectator
@breaking911/X

Older Chicago Cubs Fan Sparks Outrage After Smacking Younger Guy For Not Standing During National Anthem In Viral Video

At this point about 99% of conservatives' politics is based around feeling like even tacit disagreement is an attack on them personally, and a new viral video shows this delusion in action.

People have been left shocked by the clip, filmed in the stands of a Chicago Cubs game, in which an elderly fan slaps a stranger upside the head for not standing during the National Anthem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ferran Torres
Calvin Hernandez/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Spain's World Cup Final Goal Scorer Has Fans Spiraling After Sporting MAGA-Style Hat For Victory Parade

Ferran Torres, who scored the game-winning goal in Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday, had fans scratching their heads after he sported a red MAGA-style "Make Spain Great Again" hat for the team's victory parade in Madrid.

Torres, who plays for Barcelona, posted photos on Instagram wearing a cap that closely resembles one of President Donald Trump's signature "Make America Great Again" hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jasmine Crockett
@atrupar/X

Jasmine Crockett Just Bluntly Called Out The GOP-Led Congressional Hearing Targeting The Smithsonian For What It Is—And We're Nodding Hard

Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett summed up the point of a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency's hearing on Tuesday about the National Museum of American History's alleged "extreme political activism."

Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Dr. Anthea Hartig faced scrutiny on Capitol Hill after a White House report accused the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History of becoming a taxpayer-funded center of "ideological capture" and "extreme political activism."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ryan Gosling attends "Project Hail Mary" New York premiere at Lincoln Center.
Dominik Bindl/FilmMagic

The 'La La Land' Poster Was Just Officially Edited To Fix Ryan Gosling's Bent Hand—And Fans Have Thoughts

If you've spent the last decade unable to unsee Ryan Gosling's oddly bent hand on the La La Land poster, you're not alone. The visual quirk became an enduring talking point among fans. And now, for the film's 10-year anniversary, it's officially been fixed.

The poster for the iconic 2016 musical has been subtly adjusted ahead of its theatrical re-release on August 16 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. While the original artwork shows Gosling's character, Sebastian, with his hand tilted downward in the famous dance pose, the updated version straightens it to mirror Emma Stone's Mia.

Keep ReadingShow less