Maybe that’s why I get away with stuff like this.
I suspect that’s true too.
Had a boss who contended that if you say “Now, don’t get defensive…” to someone, the next thing they say will naturally be in a defensive tone of voice.
Try: “I don’t like your tone of face.”
I can’t hear your tone of voice.
How about, “I don’t care for your tone of voice?” Better?
Should work well on muggers.
Well, I don’t like the cut of your jib !
It may do, if said in a Clint Eastwood mule insult response type voice.
It’s reckless either way. If you are fine with being reckless, then go on and be reckless–I can’t stop you. Just don’t be shocked if someone doesn’t take it so well.
That gets said at Hobie Cat regattas. Pretty much everyone looking over your boat will say, “I like the cut of your jib” and chuckle.
I wouldn’t be shocked, maybe surprised, but I also wonder what “not taking it well” implies. Collapsing to the ground in tears? Pulling a knife?
The could be horrific unforeseen consequences. I could imagine someone leaving in huff, saying “Well, good day to you sir” but not really meaning it.
I could also imagine something thinking “Wow, what an incredibly racist thing to say…”
And clearly you have an excellent imagination!
Said to a friend or fellow regular at your local watering hole I could see it being quickly recognized as a joke after a momentary mental double-take.
Said to a random stranger I could see the next thing being him going all MMA on your surprised self.
Certainly the latter is less likely the more physically intimidating you yourself appear. But if so, that also makes your comment even more of a jerk move if delivered to a stranger.
I too have a bad habit of applying what I think of as humor in situations with strangers where misunderstandings are more likely than I foresee at the moment. I’ve had to learn to make sure that any such humor is self-deprecating not other-deprecating.
Everything is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.
And it doesn’t even have to get physical. Try that with a co-worker and be prepared for them to side-eye you for a while, waiting for the next “joke”.
You’re basically calling someone rude, when they’re not being rude. Three people looked at you like you’d slapped them. Did you not have second thoughts after the first one reacted that way?
No, because there were also people who took it playfully, and even the three that “looked like I’d slapped them” thought over what I’d said and realized I was just f*cking around.
OR: Pipe down dumb Dora, the baloney spilling outta your kisser gives me the heebie jeebies.
Jazz-age slang always gets the point across.
Don’t look at me in that tone of voice!
Consider:
Play stupid games (going around, telling people you don’t like their tone just for shits and giggles), don’t be shocked if you win stupid prizes (people start to wonder if you’re racist or otherwise toxic for suddenly jumping on their tone for no apparent reason).