Is the phrase “left-handed compliment” considered offensive against left-handed people? Wikipedia and Wiktionary don't mention it being offensive, but I want to make sure.
I’m aware of “two left feet” to indicate that someone’s a bad dancer, but that’s describing yourself, and you may actually be right-handed, whereas “left-handed compliment” may be describing the speech of someone else who may or may not be right-handed.
I’ve also heard of sinister, but a person using the word could reasonably claim that they didn’t know that it is derived from left-handedness.
Best Answer
I've heard the term backhanded compliment, and, evidently, left-handed compliment is another term for the same thing, though not as widely used, apparently.
I'm a southpaw, and I wouldn't be offended by the term left-handed compliment. I might be offended by the "compliment" itself, depending on how good-naturedly (or not) it was delivered. But the term seems innocuous, and I've never heard of any lefty being offended.