Left-handed compliment
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.”
noun phrase
Praise that is subtle dispraise; reluctant and dubious praise: Telling her she has the constitution of a horse is maybe a left-handed compliment (1881+)
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.
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- Left-hander
[left-han-der, -han-] /ˈlɛftˈhæn dər, -ˌhæn-/ noun 1. a person who is , especially a baseball pitcher who throws with the left hand. 2. Informal. a slap or punch delivered with the left hand. noun 1. a blow with the left hand 2. a left-handed person
- Left heart
left heart n. The left atrium and left ventricle.
- Left hepatic duct
left hepatic duct n. The duct that drains bile from the left half of the liver.
- Left holding the bag
To have the blame or responsibility thrust upon you: “When his partner skipped town, Harry was left holding the bag.”