Bullying phrases, and my sort of response:

"It was just a joke..."      No it wasn't, and if you begin an excuse with it was just, I don't want to hear the rest.
"It was only a joke..."      As above.
"He can't hack it..."       Why should he have to?
"He can't take it..."       As above.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." If your victim chooses to say that, fine, but it's not for you to say. Broken bones mend quite fast, but the words can go on for years and years until people are adults. I still remember the Hearty Jokers club and how miserable they made me. Making me miserable was the joke.

"Finders keepers, losers weepers."   That phrase does not make it OK to make the losers weep, it's still theft if you know who it belongs to. Do you want to make people cry? (Not to be used if this is the sort of child who does!)

Those sort of phrases really make me angry - along with "I was only, I was just...)

Penny