History Main / StealthInsult

See also OverlyNarrowSuperlative and MyFriendsAndZoidberg, which are often specific forms of this. WithDueRespect is also sometimes used as this. A frequent technique in PassiveAggressiveKombat, and sometimes a clever way to deliver a QuietCryForHelp to third parties who are clever or informed enough to recognize the implications. May overlap with TeasingFromBehindTheLanguageBarrier when character A uses a language unknown to character B. When an author or other creative type does this, it may result in a MisaimedFandom.

* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' on UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, which [[AffectionateParody Affectionately Parodies]] the nationality of every boxer in the game, jabs at Japan this way with Piston Hondo. He's shown to be the most stereotypical Japanese super-warrior imaginable, training by catching swords and ''outrunning bullet trains'', yet he's merely the lowest ranked boxer of the second circuit who can't defeat the lumberjack who trains by [[CanadaEh chopping down trees and guzzling maple syrup]]. (Doubly funny if you're aware that the development studio, Next Level Games, is based in Canada.)

* The ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12951561/1/Fox-Rain Fox Rain]]'' has two examples:

** The new superhero Vorpika refers to Papillon as "Papillon der grillo coi fiori'n mano", that [[BilingualBonus in Rome's dialect]] translates as "Papillon of the cricket with flowers in the hand". She's paraphrasing a movie quote that is well known in Italy and extremely vulgar, enough the author refuses to complete it to protect the story's rating[[note]]The quote is "Il Marchese del Grillo, coi fiori in mano e il cazzo a spillo", translating as "The Marquis of the Cricket, with flowers in his hands and a ''pin-shaped dick''"[[/note]].

* ''Literature/TheLastBinding'' has a visual version: the portrait of Robin's mother casts her face slightly in shadow and hides one hand, as if holding something unseen. Robin notes that the artist saw her [[BitchInSheepsClothingn true character]] and knew that she'd miss the significance of the portrait, since she only valued art for ConspicuousConsumption.

* ''Literature/TheLastBinding'' has a visual version: the portrait of Robin's mother casts her face slightly in shadow and hides one hand, as if holding something unseen. Robin notes that the artist saw her [[BitchInSheepsCharacter true character]] and knew that she wouldn't see the significance of the portrait, since she only valued art for ConspicuousConsumption.

* The various "What Your Favorite [x] Ship Says About You" videos by Eldena [=Doubleca5t=] tend to feature this. For instance, saying "you are heterosexual" usually means that the pairing offers nothing besides being a heterosexual ship [[HetIsEw in a fandom where those are rare]] (i.e. an abusive couple, or an instance of StrangledByTheRedString). A particularly prominent one was that if you ship Shiro/Curtis in ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'', "you are either executive producer Joaquin dos Santos or executive producer Lauren Montgomery"--the implication being that the ship in question is so underdeveloped and lackluster that only the show's creators enjoy it.

* The "Fandom Explaining" meme often makes fun of various sectors of the fandom for their various irrational tendencies toward the character/work they're a fan of; for example, this video has "[[Manga/AttackOnTitan AOT]] fans" angrily reacting to seing a single second of CGI. Showing the fandom's name on a black screen, such as ''Anime/YourLieInApril'' at 0:42 in the video, implies that the subject is so unpopular that it has no fans.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E109JessBelle Jess-Belle]]", the title character finds Elly Glover gathering flowers after she has won Billy-Ben Turner's love using Granny Hart's LovePotion. She tells her that she saw a patch of old maid's fern up on the mountain. Elly replies that she has noticed a lot of vixen wort around.

* ''Comicstrip/CalvinAndHobbes'':

* ''Comicstrip/{{Dilbert}}'':

'''Davey Stone''': No, let me do them right now. ''[Hold up his fists, raises and lowers his middle fingers]'' One, two, three, four...\\

'''Kronk''': [[CaptainObvious Hey, that's kinda like what he said]] [[IronicEcho to you when you got fired.]]\\

** If [[ChummyCommies Michael Harrington]] becomes the succeeding president, LBJ writes a seemingly cordial and congratulatory [[https://i.imgur.com/AtGQ01i.png transition letter]] - albeit, one that ''reeks'' of patronizing contempt for the most ardent leftist elected president so far and his lack of actual political experience, evidently not trusting him to properly lead America. It has to be read between the lines, [[ReasonYouSuckSpeech but is infinitely more scathing than anything anyone else would have written.]]

* Used in [[http://megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=234 this]] ''WebComic/{{Megatokyo}}'' strip, when Seraphim insults Asmodeus by saying "My partner's far sexier than you are", and he's still smiling because he thinks he's still up there. Little to his knowledge, the partner is [[VideoGame/BaldursGate Boo]].
* In ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'', a black market weapons dealer is trying to sell to Serron and Iki Piki. He says that a new weapon is a quantum leap above its predecessors. Iki Piki says that "quantum leap" [[YouKeepUsingThatWord actually means]] the smallest possible unit of change. When the dealer doesn't understand, Iki Piki says that his brain is obviously a quantum leap above primordial protoplasm. The dealer responds with "flattery will get you nowhere"

** Malack seemingly makes one so stealthy even the readers didn't notice, when he comments that "You don't spend time with a general of [[spoiler:Tarquin's]] calibre without learning a few things about attrition", which under the circumstances taken as saying that he's a skilled general experienced at draining an enemy's resources with minimal losses. Later events and author comments suggest that what he actually meant is that [[spoiler:Tarquin's]] military tactics are restricted to WeHaveReserves and ZergRush, so ''every'' battle is won by attrition when he's in charge.

* ''WebComic/SchlockMercenary'': Usually used as a way to complain about superior officers- either the orders they give, or how much effort it takes to get them to understand what's being discussed. At one point, Ennesby tells Captain Tagon that maybe they should "set syllable restriction to two." (i.e. use short words) Tagon shoots back that he understood ''that'' insult.

'''Bakura:''' Yes I do, [[BrainlessBeauty Marik]]. [[HoYay Yes I do.]]