put down

As played by Hawke, Hart adores holding court, entertaining his captive audience with witty put-downs and gossipy Broadway anecdotes.

Long may his critics - whoever and wherever they are - take potshots at him, because the put-downs make him rise up.

The abuse escalated from "subtle put-downs" and coercive control to punching her, kicking her, pulling her around the house by the hair, spitting on her and strangling her.

Trump, who has feuded with O'Donnell for decades, saw an opportunity for a put-down when the veteran comic's name came up during Wednesday's meeting.

And let's not forget her iconic put-down to unwanted male attention that I'll admit to rolling out endlessly in my teens: "Ugh, as if!"