Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, who has served in the House since 1981, announced his retirement this week. Among Washington journalists, Frank is known as smart, accessible, and eager to disparage them. (As Hendrik Hertzberg wrote after the announcement, “Frank is frank. He does not bore.”) Here’s a list of some of his best insults to reporters over the last few decades. It’s also the first installment of a regular feature we’re calling the Lizza List.

“It amazes me how someone from your newspaper could ask such a stupid question.”

—to Jennifer Steinhauer, the New York Times.

“What is this, some kind of idiotic contest? Most interesting? That’s idiotic. Ask me something substantive, and I’ll answer it.”

—to Ryan Grim of the Huffington Post, after he asked Frank about the “most interesting thing to arise in an A.I.G. hearing.”

“You’re stupid.”

—to Margarey Egan of the Boston Herald, on some hundred occasions.

“I hate your column.”

—to Al Kamen.

“We don’t get ourselves dry-cleaned.”

—to the CNS reporter Nicholas Ballasy, who asked whether gay and straight military personnel should shower together.

“I’m serious.”

—to Jason Zengerle of New York magazine, after the reporter chuckled when Frank told him his question was “stupid.”

“That is insane. The suggestion could only come from a demented, right-wing source.”

—to Kerry Picket of the Washington Times, after asking if Democrats would delay seating Scott Brown. (Listen.)

“My whole life, I never knew an adult who knew how to respond to that.”

—to Susan Milligan, a former Boston Globe reporter, after she and a congressman sang “Happy Birthday” to Frank.

“That is the kind of argument that people who do not have any idea what they are talking about like to make.”

—to Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes.”

“You exemplify what I think is a change in the tone. You’ve managed to ask all sort of negative questions…. Congratulations. You’re four-for-four in managing to find the negative approach.”

—NBC exit interview with Savannah Guthrie

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

—to Hanna Rosin, then of the Washington Post, after asking his reaction to recent wave of gay marriages in the San Francisco.

Photograph by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images.