# What constitutes a personal insult in ATMB?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutes-a-personal-insult-in-atmb/520520>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [December 8, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutes-a-personal-insult-in-atmb/520520 "2009-12-08T22:39:40Z")\
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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutes-a-personal-insult-in-atmb/520520/2 "2009-12-08T23:00:03Z")

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I thought we’d been through this several dozen times, but we’ll try again in very simple terms. Speaking in general, here’s the way to tell the difference:

- “You are an X” is a personal insult.
- “What you said is X” is NOT a personal insult.

There’s nothing magic about “henpecking” nor any other word (with two or three exceptions.) We are NOT going to come up with a list of words that allowed and words that are not allowed. "

ACCEPTABLE: Your post sounds like third-grade writing.  
NOT ACCEPTABLE: You must have stopped your education in third grade.

ACCEPTABLE: What you said comes across like henpecking.  
NOT ACCEPTABLE: You are a henpecker.

NOT FUNNY: How much henna can a henpecker peck if a henpecker could peck henna.

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