Outrageously Funny Word Dictionary :: Words with tactful

👉 Okay, let’s tackle that wonderfully prickly beast of a word! Now, when you throw around the words "with tactful," frankly, it immediately screams 18th-century calling cards and stiff upper lips. Let's unpack this, because honestly, we really need to interrogate what it actually means beyond simply saying something politely (that is, if polite even exists as a genuine state of being).

What Exactly is "With Tactful"? (The Long, Slightly Awry Explanation) Essentially – and here I’m phrasing it in the most entertaining way possible – "with tactful-ness" describes operating somewhere along the tightrope between saying exactly what you mean and absolutely shattering someone's entire, carefully constructed little reality. 1) It acknowledges that there's probably something potentially uncomfortable or even a bit bruising on the table. 2) The action of then delivering your insight is done in such a way that it minimises the blow – not by denying the truth, mind you! Rather, with an… elaborate, almost tragically pretty understatement. You are essentially carefully and excruciatingly edging around the point, whilst somehow still getting to the point. Think of it as professional disappointment. Someone has just botched a terribly obvious thing, and instead of pointing that out directly, you delicately suggest they might have considered... perhaps a slightly different shade of beige for their error? 3) And we are all being very polite about this. 4) You