left-handed compliment

1. A compliment with two meanings, one of which is unflattering to the receiver: “The senator said that her opponent was quite competent for someone so inexperienced; you hear nothing but left-handed compliments in these debates.”

Idioms and Phrases

Also, backhanded compliment . An insult in the guise of an expression of praise. For example, She said she liked my hair, but it turned out to be a left-handed compliment when she asked how long I'd been dyeing it . This expression uses left-handed in the sense of “questionable or doubtful,” a usage dating from about 1600.

Example Sentences

The gardener was miffed by this left-handed compliment, but he did not venture to resent the impeachment.

From Project Gutenberg

"That is a very left-handed compliment," said the Daughter of the House.

From Project Gutenberg