# Baffling Comments/Compliments **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 29, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701 "2006-08-29T19:06:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/1 "2006-08-29T19:06:36Z")
Do you ever get a comment from others that baffles you? And worse, have gotten it more than once? I’m short - five foot three and a half. Depending on my mood I’ll round up or down when asked how tall I am. Even when I say 5’4" I occasionally get a strange comment, almost always from men. “You seem taller.” Okay…besides giving them a puzzled smile and saying “Thanks, I practice,” I’m not sure how I’m supposed to react to the comment. Actually, since it’s always said nicely, I think it’s a strange compliment. What on earth is “You seem taller” supposed to mean?! Or rather, why would seeming taller be a good thing? Any other baffling comments dopers would like interpreted? ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/2 "2006-08-29T19:09:43Z")
Interpret that as “You have presence!” I was once told “Your eyes would be beautiful if they were blue.” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/3 "2006-08-29T19:20:46Z")
“Your hair looks really decent today!” As opposed to most days? It was meant as a compliment, and I had fussed with my hair so I appreciated the intended sentiment, but I wasn’t as flattered as I was intended to be. “Your hair looks darker” Um, it’s my natural color (I’ve never dyed it-and probably never will). I don’t know that I’ve done anything different to it lately–except maybe putting some mousse on it. Given that we are in a candlelit room, I have to think that maybe lighting has something to do with it, although maybe not. And I’ not sure why darker hair is neccessarily better anyway. (I’m brunette. Darkish brown, but not in the trying to be black category. If I did dye it, I’d probably aim blonder or redder, not darker, which I’m not going to do anyway). ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/4 "2006-08-29T19:39:48Z")
I had a guy tell me that he really liked my nose. I admit, I was baffled. Not that I have a particularly good nose or bad nose, but, I mean, it’s a _NOSE_. Just seems like an odd thing to get het up about, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/5 "2006-08-29T20:02:20Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > I had a guy tell me that he really liked my nose. > > I admit, I was baffled. Not that I have a particularly good nose or bad nose, but, I mean, it’s a _NOSE_. > > Just seems like an odd thing to get het up about, ya know? Oh I don’t know. I once had a crush on a girl who had the most beautiful shoulders 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/6 "2006-08-29T20:27:18Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > I had a guy tell me that he really liked my nose. > > I admit, I was baffled. Not that I have a particularly good nose or bad nose, but, I mean, it’s a _NOSE_. > > Just seems like an odd thing to get het up about, ya know? Heh, that reminds me of when I was 14, and my friend told me that I had a nose just like Anne of Green Gables (a compliment, since Anne was the epitome of all things good). I had never noticed my nose before, but come to think of it, it’s rather nice to have a decent nose, considering how much anguish some people put into their noses. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/7 "2006-08-29T20:34:59Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > I had a guy tell me that he really liked my nose. > > I admit, I was baffled. Not that I have a particularly good nose or bad nose, but, I mean, it’s a _NOSE_. > > Just seems like an odd thing to get het up about, ya know? I beg to differ. To me, the nose is the most important part of the face. Many otherwise beautiful faces are ruined because of imperfect noses. There’s a reason why nosejobs are so popular. ---
**Author:** ![Lilairen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lilairen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilairen)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/8 "2006-08-29T20:38:37Z")
An elderly relative of my father’s wife told me I looked like the photographs of me. Er … yes? ---
**Author:** ![Kairos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@Kairos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kairos)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/9 "2006-08-29T20:44:39Z")
I think my favorite was “You know, it’s really amazing that I’m attracted to you - I usually go for girls who are shorter than me, and thinner than you are.” :eek: On a related note (I was reminded by the nose compliment), an ex-boyfriend of mine was once speaking about an actress with whom he was enamoured, and said “she has beautiful wrists.” If he had said something about her eyes, her tits, her ass, it wouldn’t have bothered me. But her wrists? It was such an unusual thing to focus on…it seemed far more intimate than the usual compliment-able body parts, and it bugged the hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/10 "2006-08-29T21:00:05Z")
I wasn’t involved, but I once heard a guy tell a girl (both about 21yo)- “Wow, you’re gonna be beautiful in about 5 years” ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/11 "2006-08-29T21:02:52Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > Many otherwise beautiful faces are ruined because of imperfect noses. > [@](#): > > There’s a reason why nosejobs are so popular. Imperfect noses…why nosejobs are so popular…does not compute. does not compute. (Although plastic surgery isn’t _more_ revolting than piercing, for instance.) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/12 "2006-08-29T21:13:20Z")
> [@Kairos](#): > > If he had said something about her eyes, her tits, her ass, it wouldn’t have bothered me. But her wrists? It was such an unusual thing to focus on…it seemed far more intimate than the usual compliment-able body parts, and it bugged the hell out of me. I adore [Joseph Fiennes’ neck.](http://img.timeinc.net/ew/img/daily/618/jfiennes_l.jpg) The back of it especially, where it curves down to become his shoulder. The man has the trapezius of a Greek statue. And yeah, my husband thinks I’m a little weird for it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/13 "2006-08-29T21:30:27Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > I beg to differ. To me, the nose is the most important part of the face. Many otherwise beautiful faces are ruined because of imperfect noses. There’s a reason why nosejobs are so popular. Huh. Toby - is that you? ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/14 "2006-08-29T21:39:10Z")
This puzzled me a bit: I am 51 and not at _all_ well-endowed, but I had the wife of a younger cousin take me aside and murmur “May I ask you if you’ve gotten implants?” ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/15 "2006-08-29T21:50:38Z")
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#): > > I beg to differ. To me, the nose is the most important part of the face. Many otherwise beautiful faces are ruined because of imperfect noses. There’s a reason why nosejobs are so popular. Oh lord, I could go on about this girl I knew back in '86. She had the most beautiful nose I’ve ever seen. Wow… just wow. She had a wonderful nose. She also wouldn’t go out with me, but that’s not her noses fault. I don’t think \ no, probably not nose related. I once told another girl that her nose was an 8. Didn’t help, she still wouldn’t go out with me, but “8” was supposed to be a compliment. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/16 "2006-08-29T21:51:35Z")
A friend of mine once told me that my nose is “so cute that he wants to keep it in a jar when I die.” :eek: (He’s a bit strange, but harmless, I swear.) **WhyNot** , I have a thing about necks, myself. I think that’s one of the reasons for my embarrassing crush on [this guy](http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/wisdomy/a4afeb79.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/17 "2006-08-29T21:56:15Z")
I was once told I was “almost a burger.” I some alternate slang universe, “burger” apparently meant handsome. I was almost that. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/18 "2006-08-29T21:56:40Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Imperfect noses…why nosejobs are so popular… “Perfect” noses are overrated. Ashlee Simpson replaced her crazy beak with a fresh-from-the-factory “perfect” nose, and her face lost all of its character and striking-ness. Much less attractive IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/19 "2006-08-29T22:30:48Z")
> [@Autumn Almanac](#): > > “Perfect” noses are overrated. Ashlee Simpson replaced her crazy beak with a fresh-from-the-factory “perfect” nose, and her face lost all of its character and striking-ness. Much less attractive IMHO. Same for Jennifer Grey. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701/20 "2006-08-29T22:52:09Z")
I don’t know if these count as compliments, but for whatever reason, a number of women (whom I assume suffered from massive cataracts) have told me I look like famous people. One old woman came up to me at a bus stop with my girlfriend and told be I look like Brad Pitt, and that I should be a model. I look utterly, absolutely, completely _nothing_ like Brad Pitt. And the only modelling I might barely be qualified for is halloween masks. Another told me I look like some guy on some soap. I couldn’t argue because I had no idea who she was talking about and don’t remember what soap she was referring to. Based on the fact that I look like nobody on any TV show or movie (face for radio and all that) I can safely imagine that she probably went into the next aisle and starting making kissy here-kitty-kitty noises to the floor mops. Still another told me I looked like Michael J. Fox. My hair style at the time might have been kinda like his, and he and I are both short, so maybe, just possibly, if you smeared your pupils with vaseline. Meh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baffling-comments-compliments/370701.md?page=2)