Backhanded Complimenting Examples - The Fine Art of Saying Nothing Nicely

When you can't quite say "I love you" or "You're doing great," a good backhanded compliment can be just as sweet. Here are some examples:

• "You're not as terrible at this as I thought you'd be."
• "At least you're not as boring as the person next to you."
• "I'm surprised you didn't mess it up completely."
• "You know, for a non-expert, you're not completely incompetent."
• "I'm pretty sure I would have done worse, but that's not saying much."

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