yeah my MIL who was really mean used to say “interesting” as code for she thought you were a fruitcake
she could stir up trouble like nobody’s business but you could never pin it on her because she would act like “what did I do? I didn’t mean it like that.” what a b
Nothing more dishonest as someone that uses “code” or tries to be “vague” when making a negative comment. As my mom would say, “If you can’t politely say something negative then you might want to find a less dishonest crowd to be with.”
There's an old joke about two Jewish women who reunited after a long spell. One started bragging about the success of their business, their children, et al. After each sentence, the other woman would simply say "Fascinating!" and then the braggart would go on to new heights.
Finally the braggart ran out of talking points and asked what the other woman had done. She said she spent the last few years at a finishing school learning new social skills. "Like what?" the braggart asked. The other replied, "Like saying 'fascinating!' instead of 'bullsh!t.'"