Compliment... or not?

[Márcolië Lamen]

When I was reading that I always read it as a compliment, though I see how it could be read otherwise. I read it as they disearved more than he could give them, and while he couldn't know them well enough to like them enough, he realized they disearved more.

[Glirdan]

I think it's probably meant to be taken both ways. The first part being a compliment, the secon, not to be. But, as Aina said:

Another thing no one will ever know.

[Encaitare]

I think it's a compliment cleverly disguised as an insult. Maybe Bilbo was hoping that only the cleverest ones (the ones most worthy of his compliments) would understand that.

[Ainaserkewen]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

I think it's a compliment cleverly disguised as an insult. Maybe Bilbo was hoping that only the cleverest ones (the ones most worthy of his compliments) would understand that.

That makes more sense than it should.

[Márcolië Lamen]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

I think it's a compliment cleverly disguised as an insult. Maybe Bilbo was hoping that only the cleverest ones (the ones most worthy of his compliments) would understand that.

That makes an extreme amount of sense. Almost more than it should.

[Lalwendë]

To me, in the first half of the statement he is expressing regret that he hasn't got to know some people as much as he would have liked. In the second half, he is saying how there are some in the crowd, but by no means all, who he thinks might have deserved to be more highly esteemed by him.

It's a compliment all round. A very English and veiled one at that.

It's also one of my favourite sayings and I have long been waiting for a chance to use it, though I think it's possibly too well-known to use it in my work; maybe if I had won the lottery and was not afraid of getting the sack...

[Kuruharan]

I think it was both at once.

Sort of "If the shoe fits" principle.

[drigel]

I love that line! But I think it was a compliment that was ill-executed..
Dont think otherwise if you havent partaken any of the beer from the Golden Perch!

[Gurthang]

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

I think it was both at once.

Sort of "If the shoe fits" principle.

That's about the same as what I was thinking. Although it is a compliment to the 'less than half' that Bilbo feels he should like better, it seems to be somewhat of a slam to the non-'less than half' hobbits. Those hobbits are ones that Bilbo feels he shouldn't have to like more or who he likes more than what they deserve. So it is certainly not a compliment to them.

And seeing how the anti-compliment is directed towards more hobbits(more than half, at least), I'd say that it was almost meant to be more of a demeanor than compliment.