History Main / InsultBackFire

** ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'': In the supplement ''Tall Tales of the Wee Folk'', insulting a satyr '''always''' backfires, as race members of that race attribute their own behavior purely to natural impulses, rather than ethics or values. Call one a "filthy liar", and he'll neither take offense nor realize you're making a moral judgement, but will simply agree or disagree as to whether he's physically unclean or has told you an untruth.

** ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'': The supplement ''Tall Tales of the Wee Folk'', insulting a satyr '''always''' backfires, as that race attributes all behavior to nature rather than ethics or values. Call one a "filthy liar", and he'll neither take offense nor realize you're making a moral judgement, but will simply agree or disagree as to whether he's physically unclean or has told you an untruth.

Usually, this is because Bob invokes the "insulting" quality intentionally. Less commonly, Bob's TheDitz or has a poor grasp of the [[SesquipedalianLoquaciousness word or concept]] being insulted and take it to be a positive comment. Other times, it's simply a case of Bob having the attitude of pretending that it's not an insult, or even turning it back on her: "Coming from ''you'', IllTakeThatAsACompliment."

See also ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne, IResembleThatRemark, WrongInsultOffence, CardCarryingVillain, TallDarkAndSnarky and ItsWhatIDo. If the insultee adopts the insult as an actual badge of identity, it becomes an AppropriatedAppellation. Compare GeekyTurnOn, IWouldSayIfICouldSay, ArsonMurderAndAdmiration, BluntYes and ActuallyPrettyFunny. Sometimes crosses paths with MisaimedFandom. The complete opposite of YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame and OffendingTheFool.

* From ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', the flavor text for [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?name=Agent%20of%20Masks Agent of Masks]]:
-->"You say that I am two-faced? Enough with the flattery. We have business to conduct.''
* In ''TabletopGame/LegendOfTheFiveRings'', the Scorpion Clan's motto is "I can swim", from their telling of the fable of the Scorpion.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' "drow" is said to be a corrupted/contracted form of old elven "dhaeraow", meaning literally "black heart" and figuratively "traitor". (Call the typical drow a traitor, [[TheStarscream and she'll see it as something to be proud of]].)

** In the ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'' supplement ''Tall Tales of the Wee Folk'', insulting a satyr '''always''' backfires, as that race attributes all behavior to nature rather than ethics or values. Call one a "filthy liar", and he'll neither take offense nor realize you're making a moral judgement, but will simply agree or disagree as to whether he's physically unclean or has told you an untruth.
* A supplement to FASA's ''Franchise/StarTrek'' RPG devoted to Klingons pointed out that insults often wouldn't translate very well. A Federation officer trying to insult a Klingon officer by using the old "Your mother wears army boots" line would find that it would translate to "Your maternal parent wears the footgear of a soldier" which sounds to the Klingon like an attempt to complement them on the military tradition of their line (extended family).

* In ''TabletopGame/LegendsOfTheWulin'', Sword Bastard took his name from an epithet in the DyingSpeech of a hero he killed.
* In the backstory of ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', Theodore Kurita’s contentious relationship to his father Takashi led to his father insulting him by giving him the wreckage of an old Orion [=BattleMech=]. What Theodore learned that his father did not know was that the ‘Mech was the wreckage of a ‘Mech piloted by the legendary Star League General, Alexander Kerensky. After repairing the ‘Mech, he piloted it with pride. Beyond that, Theodore was happy to receive an Orion (a 75 ton mech known for being well armed and armored) over the traditional Dragon mech that he would have otherwise received (which was 60 tons and faster than the Orion but with vastly inferior armor and firepower).

Not to be confused with InsultMisfire, where the target obliviously doesn't realize the insult was directed at ''them''. Compare ThreatBackfire. Compare and contrast ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne, where there are multiple insults, but the character may only object to one of them. If you phrased your insult poorly ("You fight like my grandma!"), you may get InsultBackfire through LiteralistSnarking ("You fought your grandma?"). See also BluntYes, which is often based on a similar theme. Contrast ComplimentBackfire (and CallingMeALogarithm, when someone thinks a word that's not an insult or even not directed at a person is an insult). See also InsultFriendlyFire.

** In ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'''s supplement ''Tall Tales of the Wee Folk'', insulting a satyr '''always''' backfires, as that race attributes all behavior to nature rather than ethics or values. Call one a "filthy liar", and he'll neither take offense nor realize you're making a moral judgement, but will simply agree or disagree as to whether he's physically unclean or has told you an untruth.

* {{Hero|es}}ic: The character being insulted is proud of his [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids idealism]], [[HonorBeforeReason honor]], [[WithGreatPower heroic tendencies]], or some other trait [[EvilCannotComprehendGood the villain tries to insult]].