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ESL forum >
Ask for help > How do you say.... subtle verbal insults
How do you say.... subtle verbal insults
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colibrita
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How do you say.... subtle verbal insults
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Hi All,
A vocabulary question: what words or expressions are there for very clever subtle verbal insults? You know, the kind that you could almost miss but once you read between the lines there �s a very subtle dig there. All i can come up with are veiled barbs, (oh and subtle digs!).
Thank you
Colibrita
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15 Nov 2012
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zenlee
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snide insinuations?
snide remarks?
snide comments? |
15 Nov 2012
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MoodyMoody
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And don �t forget the newer snarky. It �s still in the slang phase, but it seems to be gaining in popularity, at least here in the USA. |
15 Nov 2012
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douglas
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definitely snide remark
jab?
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16 Nov 2012
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almaz
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How about damning with faint praise? |
16 Nov 2012
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Zora
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I agree with the others on �snide remark, jab �. There �s also �backhanded compliment �.
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16 Nov 2012
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almaz
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I only heard snarky for the first time last year from an American friend (I thought she �d mistyped sarky) - but it �s definitely in the most recent SOED (which dates it from the early 20th century), glossed as �irritable, short-tempered � - but I �m sure our AmE native-speakers have a much better idea of its current usage 
I don �t think there �s anything subtle about a snide remark, although I can accept the meaning of �devious, mean, underhand � as being possibly close. Incidentally, in UK slang, snide can also mean inferior or counterfeit, as in �snide Louboutins �.
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16 Nov 2012
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Zora
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Hi there,
Actually snarky is even less subtle than snide. If someone is being snarky, at least in my experience, they are being almost outright sarcastic and borderline rude and the phrase, "Don �t get snarky with me!" can be heard in a lot of Canadian households. 
Perhaps what Colibri is looking for could be �veiled sarcasm �?
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16 Nov 2012
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douglas
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I like "veiled sarcasm"! Good call Linda!
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16 Nov 2012
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cunliffe
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Veiled sarcasm? Sarcasm is out there, not veiled. You �ve got it yourself colibrita, �making sly digs�. Or snide comments. You�d probably say, �She�s always getting sly digs in.�
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16 Nov 2012
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