Learn How to Give Witty Insults and Clever Comebacks

Out of the unconscious lips of babes and sucklings are we satirized.
~ Mark Twain

My grandson Zac "The comeback kid"

Some people are endowed with an acerbic tongue that drip with sarcasm. For them, giving clever comebacks or witty insults come naturally.

You might think they are spiteful or want to hurt the feelings of others. But that isn't always the case.

It's just that they see the irony of things around them. To a sarcastic mind the affairs of men is nothing short of a tragic-comedy. The world may be a stage but who wants to unknowingly be caught up in the pantomime performance of fools?

Or perhaps they find certain behavior inappropriate in polite conversation and feel the need to rectify the situation.

If you must poke fun for amusement or have the urge to shut up obnoxious people, then there are certain things you must be observant of aside from what they are saying. Take note of how they look, their mannerism or the clothes they wear. Often these will give you clues on how to set them up for your repartee.

The 3 T's to a successful witty insult or clever comeback

Target - Try not to get into an entanglement with people in authority like a police officer who is carrying a gun, your boss who has the ability to fire you or your mother in law who can make your marriage a living hell.

Do not use insulting comebacks in a scatter-gun manner firing indiscriminately. Applied at the wrong time with the wrong person and you might end up not only hurting someone's feeling, but hurting yourself if the person you insulted is capable of beating the living daylights out of you.

So choose your targets wisely.

Timing - It is essential to time your retort or comeback at the right moment to achieve the desired effect. If you wait too long, it loses it's value and may look strange or lame. Also choose your words carefully in order not to give the impression among others in the conversation that you are a bully badmouthing the target out of malice. (Even if that is the reason)

Don't forget to smile before you deliver the punch line. This tell the others you are not serious and avoid turning the banter into a heated argument. Follow the WGL rule; Wink, Grin, or Laugh.

Tact - People don't really like being humiliated in front of others, especially among their peers. 

Your witty insults and clever comebacks may provide amusement and elicit laughter, but it also leaves a sour and bitter aftertaste with the victim. You might start to notice friends and acquaintance avoiding eye contact with you during social gatherings, or decide they needed to be somewhere else as you  approach and enter into their group conversation.

The repartee is a finely wrought tool that can either make you the life of the party or a pariah. Temper your witty insults and clever comebacks with moderation.