"Scrappy" is a half-compliment. That's different from an underhanded compliment, which is an insult in the guise of a compliment. A half-compliment is a state

"Scrappy" is a half-compliment. That's different from an underhanded compliment, which is an insult in the guise of a compliment. A half-compliment is a statement that is earnestly complimentary, but with some negative connotations. Think of it this way: nobody would refer to Roger Federer as "scrappy". You could say that the opposite of "scrappy" is dignified, but you could also say the opposite of scrappy is "elegant." Dignity may be deadly, but I'm not sure that's the only thing you lose when you exude "scrappiness".