That was a Chinese compliment, not a real one.
Chinese compliment
idiomA pretense of deference; a veiled or subtle insult.
He praised my work in a way that felt like a Chinese compliment, highlighting my mistakes while pretending to be helpful.
The critic offered a sharp Chinese compliment, masking his disdain for the author's prose behind a thin veil of polite admiration.
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backhanded compliment
An insult disguised as a compliment; a compliment which can be interpreted as an insult.
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Chinese green
Synonym of lokao.
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Chinese overtime
Any form of overtime in which increasing the hours worked reduces the hourly rate.
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Chinese puzzle
A senseless situation.
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Chinese Wall
An information barrier within an organization, designed to ensure internal confidentiality; frequently used to prevent conflicts of interest.
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Chinese water torture
Any repeated irritation that builds to deliver cumulative damage.
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left-handed compliment
A complimentary remark which is ambiguous or ineptly worded, so that it may be interpreted as having an unflattering or dismissive sense.