> It always bothers me when someone says "No offense, but..."
>
> Say "no offense" to clarify a statement, and I'm fine. But before you say something? If you know that what you're about to say could be hurtful, shouldn't you find another way to get your point across? From what I've seen, that wouldn't be too hard with a second or two of thought and maybe three brain cells.
>
> Anyone else feel this way?
>
> Gahalia

It's similar to the dreaded, "I hate to say I told ya so."

Whoever says it is, in fact, enjoying telling you that he/she told you so. I'm not sure if this is the rule with "no offense," but I know that it's true in some cases. Fer instance:

"No offense, but you look like an idiot."

Notice how the padding at the beginning is entirely negated by the outright insult at the end. Someone who really didn't want to offend you would use a euphemizm instead of "idiot." It's a supposedly witty way to deliver a put-down.

10"how to retort: 'No defense, but I am rubber,you are glue...'"Kan