It's an extremely effective "weapon", when used judiciously. Perhaps it's a dying "art", which if so, needs to have new life breathed into it. After all, the FFs were absolutely masters of it.
I’m of Irish descent - the Irish and the English have a gift for insult. I don’t know why - they’re an articulate people, generally. Perhaps coming from a tiny island always about to be invaded, they learn to fight fire with fire - in their own way.