Favorite backhanded compliments

If someone shows off an item and says how inexpensive it was - just say "Ah - cheap clothes suit you!" or cheap jewelry / other.

When shown a new article of clothing, haircut, etc.: "I love that you're not afraid to just be yourself!"

I hope you have the day that you deserve!

John Gielgud was a master of this in the dressing room, after a performance:

"You've done it again!"

"You've never been better."

Always accompanied by a vigorous hand clasp or embrace.

Sez you

LOL R4. Tony Randall said once that when he saw a friend in a play that wasn't very good, he would go backstage and say: "Well - that was really SOMETHING!"

He said he stopped when someone said it to him after a show.

How interesting

I was told the appropriate response to a theatre performance went you went backstage was Fabulous, darling, fabulous!

Just now heard of “bless your heart”? Well, bless your heart.

What a darling maternity dress... oh, sorry.

The classic backstage comment came from Estelle Winwood: "Oh, darling, if only you could have been out there in the audience with me!"

“ This is a nice car .. for you. “

R4 in the same vein I use "that was really something!" Never said it was something [italic]good.[/italic] I'm definitely adding "you've never been better!" to my repertoire.

Oops I just read R6, sorry!

You're a wonder!

God love you, OP!

In her book (No Bed of Roses), Joan Fontaine says her sister Olivia de Havilland said to her after a performance, "Well, that was really something!"

Joan then asks the reader: "Something is what?"

"If that's the kind of (dress, shirt, car, etc.) you wanted, you certainly got a good one!"

visiting someone’s tacky home: “somebody’s been busy in here!”

"Bless your heart" *can* be meant sincerely. "How nice..." almost never is, as the "...for you, you hateful cunt" is silent.

And Judy Garland's backstage comment apparently was, "How DO you do it?!"

"Well, look at you!"

"You're likable enough, Hillary." *smiles*

Once, when asked what i thought of a terrible show, i replied,.what did u think ..to a performer, who was in ithe show...i knew this. He replied, its My show...and i replied, it Sure is. It was Bad...my friends hubby kept giving out throughout the show and sayjng he was Never coming to a show again it was Bad.

"You're very brave. "

"I could never do that!"

Never knew that Bless your heart was a backhanded compliment

I’m in the South and I’ve never heard “Bless your heart” used in a backhanded manner. I’ve only heard it from one person and sh would be 82 if she were still alive. I feel like this is a phrase that has gotten popular on the internet but not used in actual real life.

This is R7 - for a moment I thought R8 was giving me shade. LOL

I'm R6 so switch that around.....I thought R7 was giving me shade.

Maybe DL should have a 15 drinks a day limit like Carnival.

My dementia-riddled mom would say if you gained weight,

“Wow, you really filled out nice!”

She would say it it with a wide-eyed, sincere and disarming tone that had the whole family howling with laughter.

After meeting my skinny mother years before, on meeting Dad's younger brother's new fiancé said, "At least this one is well-fed"

I get the shade in R30, but my mind cannot figure out the relationship: "Dad's younger brother's new fiancé"!

r31, soon to be aunt in law

Have YOU ever been into space?

Have YOU ever had an intelligent thought?

Along the lines of some of the foregoing, "You're looking prosperous!" (said cheerfully to a man) really meant, "You've put on a bit of weight, bub" a century ago. I've made use of the expression a few times (to people who had no idea what I was getting at).

"You have such a pretty face" (said to a fat girl)