Back-Handed Compliments
True story:
My European Interlocutor: You two don't look American at all.
My American Colleague: Haha, thank you!
Me: Heh, I guess, but what does an American really "look like" anyway?
My European Interlocutor: Well, you know, people who don't take care of themselves, who are overweight, who don't know how to dress.
Me: ...
My European Interlocutor: That or blonde Barbie dolls.
Me: ...
My American Colleague: *rolls eyes* Yeah, I know what you mean.
Me: ...
My European Interlocutor: Anyway, you *indicating me* look like you're Italian, maybe Spanish, and you *indicating my colleague* could be Irish or German or pretty much anything.
My American Colleague: Well, that's nice of you to say that!
I'm not sure what I found more off-putting - that "You don't look at all like your nationality" was apparently intended as a compliment, or that my fellow American actually took it as such.
My European Interlocutor: You two don't look American at all.
My American Colleague: Haha, thank you!
Me: Heh, I guess, but what does an American really "look like" anyway?
My European Interlocutor: Well, you know, people who don't take care of themselves, who are overweight, who don't know how to dress.
Me: ...
My European Interlocutor: That or blonde Barbie dolls.
Me: ...
My American Colleague: *rolls eyes* Yeah, I know what you mean.
Me: ...
My European Interlocutor: Anyway, you *indicating me* look like you're Italian, maybe Spanish, and you *indicating my colleague* could be Irish or German or pretty much anything.
My American Colleague: Well, that's nice of you to say that!
I'm not sure what I found more off-putting - that "You don't look at all like your nationality" was apparently intended as a compliment, or that my fellow American actually took it as such.