" I can excuse it to you , but I ca n’t understand it for you . "
You know how sometimes you think of the perfect thing to say to someone, but it’s not until hours after the fact? Like you’re preparing dinner or you’re in the shower, and all of a sudden, the ideal comeback or responsefinallycomes to you? THAT. IS. THE. WORST.
Which is why when TikTok userjoyandjournalposted , " Please tell me your favorite ' not abuse ' insults , " the answers were filled with gems that I ’m decidedly saving for the next time I need a quick rejoinder .
So here are 19 creative comebacks to keep in your back-pocket the next time someone says something out of line:
1.“What a strange thing to say out loud.”
2.“I’ve been using ‘I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you’ a lot lately.”
— chanlcrawford
3."‘Let’s normalize keeping some thoughts to ourselves.'"
4.“When someone interrupts me, I like to say, ‘Your turn!'”
— jacccattack
5."‘You brighten every room you walk out of.'"
6.“If someone says ‘Sorry’ but they clearly don’t mean it, I’ll say, ‘Don’t be sorry, you’re just being yourself.'”
— revlon
7."‘That makes sense when you don’t think about it.'"
8.“I’ll say, ‘You look like the type,’ and then let their insecurities take over from there.”
— huntermajor2
9.When someone interrupts me, I say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?'"
10."‘I wasn’t insulting you, I was describing you…'"
— liziliddy
12."‘I bet your parents change the subject when you get brought up.'"
— elizabetttthh
13.“You’re doing your best. And that’s embarrassing.”
14.“I don’t understand why you’re raising your voice at me.”
— cindysanta0
15.“Just because you don’t like the answer doesn’t mean it’s not the answer.”
16.“Sometimes, I just side-eye my friend but without any subtlety.”
— yumi_cloud416
17.“Thats so brave of you!!”
18.“I’ll say, ‘Do you think?’ and then stop there. But you gotta say it as if more is coming after it.”
— heyalymatei
19.And lastly, “‘That’s a choice!'”
So, there you have it: 19 comebacks to deploy as you see fit. What do you think? Would you use any of these? Or do you have any others that you find to be particularly effective?
Note : Some submissions have been blue-pencil for length and/or clarity .
