Rant.

Why not use that and explain to them that they were assholes?

I get myself in shit with the wife all the time for telling assholes that, they are in fact assholes. But what I have found is 8 out 10 assholes already know this fact and walk away, 1 out 10 thanks you for calling him out on it, and you may even become freinds, and the other 1 out of 10 wants to fight. No biggie there either.