Please don't be sneaky in phrasing it. Instead, edit it out. Sneaky rudeness is a worse problem on HN than outright rudeness is, because it's more insidious. Outright rudeness at least tends to get flagged.

> I was responding to rudeness in kind.

Maybe so. But most everyone feels that way, so it's not an ok reason to break the rules.

That is half of what civility is - not being overtly hostile.