backhanded compliment

Meaning: (idiomatic)Aninsultdisguised as acompliment; a compliment which can be interpreted as an insult.1914,Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter17, inTarzan of the Apes:"[…]regardless of what he may say to you, he respects your great learning, and, therefore, has immense confidence in your judgment. The poor dear cannot differentiate between erudition and wisdom." Mr. Philander, with a mildly puzzled expression on his face, turned to pursue Professor Porter, and in his mind he was revolving the question of whether he should feel complimented or aggrieved at Miss Porter's ratherback-handed compliment.1998June 29, Jere Longman, “World Cup '98: Dutch Fans Are Orange (Hair, Dresses, Clogs and Faces) With Envy”, inNew York Times‎[1], retrieved7 October 2013:Perhaps, finally, the Netherlands will shed itself of thebackhanded complimentof being the best team never to win a world championship.2009February 4, Robert Chew, “A Madoff Whistle-Blower Tells His Story”, inTime‎[2], retrieved7 October 2013:In abackhanded compliment, Markopolos said the SEC is a "bad regulator, but the best of a very sorry lot."

Examples:

EN: I don't think so. Was that a backhanded compliment?
ES: No creo. ¿No va ese cumplido con segundas?
EN: Yeah, toss her a backhanded compliment.
ES: - Si-- hazle un cumplido irónico.
EN: There's nothing I like more than a backhanded compliment.
ES: No hay nada que me guste más que un cumplido ambiguo.
EN: The backhanded compliment to lower her self-esteem...
ES: El cumplido ambiguo Para bajar la autoestima...
EN: - Is that a backhanded compliment?
ES: - ¿Es eso un cumplido ambiguo?
EN: What kind of a backhanded compliment is that?
ES: ¿Qué tipo ambiguo cumplido es ese?
EN: Another backhanded compliment.
ES: Otro cumplido ambiguo.
EN: - That's, like, a backhanded compliment.
ES: Eso fue como un cumplido sarcástico.
EN: Everything my mom says is either a backhanded compliment or a front-handed insult.
ES: Todo lo que diga mi mamá es un halago oculto o un insulto directo.
EN: I suppose I should take that as sort of a backhanded compliment, huh?
ES: Supongo que debería de tomar eso como una especie de cumplido indirecto, ¿eh?
EN: Thanks for the backhanded compliment.
ES: Gracias por el cumplido ambiguo.
EN: Well, I will take that as a backhanded compliment that I look too young to be a mother.
ES: Bueno, me lo tomaré como un cumplido involuntario de que parezco demasiado joven para ser madre.
EN: Okay, first, you need to start with a backhanded compliment like, "oh, I'm so glad you're eating again."
ES: Hay que empezar con un cumplido inverso: como "me alegro de que hayas empezado a comer".
EN: You used my backhanded compliment.
ES: Has dicho mi cumplido inverso.
EN: What a backhanded compliment, typical of the kind of dysfunction we've witnessed over the last three years with Republicans in power.
ES: Vaya cumplido con doble intención, algo típico de la disfunción que hemos presenciado durante los últimos tres años con los republicanos en el poder.

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