I need a colloquial expression (not a term) that can be used when someone indirectly says something annoying to provoke someone standing next to them.
For example, me and Hannah fought angrily and stopped talking. The next day we met in a gathering. I was standing with someone else and Hannah was next to me, then I say something rude or malicious about Hannah to that person so that I provoke her, knowing that she is standing next to me.
Best Answer
There are various phrases for this: "catty remark", "snide aspersion", "barbed remark", "subtle dig", etc. None of these indicate the other person is in earshot, but you can include that information in the sentence: