# Did'ja ever get one of those "compliments?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 26, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907 "2001-01-26T19:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/21 "2001-01-26T23:34:30Z")
One of my high school “friends” once said “Oh, I love those shoes! I had a pair of them back when they were in style!” But the cut in that so-called compliment was so blatant I just laughed in her face. The mother of a guy I was dating once said “You’re so different from the girls Joe usually brings home – they’re usually so _flashy_ and _made-up_.” Um, thanks? No flash here, nope. Let me just schlump my way back over to the taco dip. I think the perfect response to such “compliments” is a cheery “Fuck you very much!” Unfortunately, that’s the comment I have to bite back 99% of the time, settling instead for the pained smile, which is much more polite but way less satisfactory. ---
**Author:** ![caircair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@caircair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caircair)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/22 "2001-01-26T23:36:43Z")
Re: the makeup comment, True Story, I swear. Got home for my first vacation from college, walked in the front door, and my mother greets me with “You really should wear makeup more often. It makes your face look so much better!!” Gee, thanks Mom. (And I get my looks from your side of the family!) ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/23 "2001-01-26T23:46:42Z")
In high school, I played 2nd base for the school’s team. Upon making an unassisted triple play, I jogged back to the dug out all proud of myself and greated by a delighted coach who exclaimed, “And that kind of defense is the reason I let you play everyday!” Oh thanks coach, so you’re saying I’m not good enough at hitting, running, or throwing the ball to be a starter? I mean I was never a power hitter but a .270 batting average doesn’t downright suck either. Not to much having the 2nd most stolen bases and the most assists on the team. None of that gets me the starting slot at 2nd base everyday? ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/24 "2001-01-26T23:48:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by caircair \* > **Re: the makeup comment, True Story, I swear. Got home for my first vacation from college, walked in the front door, and my mother greets me with "You really should wear makeup more often. It makes your face look so much better!!"** I hear this one from my mom, too. One year when I was home on a semester break my mom wanted me to put makeup on for something because I “look so much better with it.” At that point my brother said, “are you saying she _needs_ makeup, Mom? Because I think she looks pretty good without it.” Best little bro in the world … 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DaveX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@DaveX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveX)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/25 "2001-01-27T00:03:17Z")
This one from my current GF… “It’s not that small!” ---
**Author:** ![WickedAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f6c823/32.png) [@WickedAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WickedAngel)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/26 "2001-01-27T00:13:45Z")
All through middle and high school whenever i’d randomly wear a dress to school \>not even dressed up, just a skirt\< people would go “wow you look great. What’s the special/big occasion?” maybe i should have tried to be “trendy” and “feminine” like the rest of the shluts at school…fn… ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/27 "2001-01-27T01:30:15Z")
“Gee, you clean up well.” I hate that. ---
**Author:** ![Jeannie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@Jeannie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeannie)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/28 "2001-01-27T01:56:04Z")
Just the other day at work, a co-worker from another department was in my supervisor’s office (okay, more like a cubicle), which is right next to mine. I heard this: Co-worker: Hey where was this picture taken? Supervisor: Jeannie’s wedding. See her in the middle with the white dress? C: Oh…Oh, my! (shouting over the wall) Hey, Jeannie, you look _pretty_! Me: Uh…thanks. Granted, I always wear jeans and stuff to work, never do my hair, never wear make-up. But is it so hard to believe that if I put an effort in, that I could actually be pretty? I also get people say, “Oh, you should wear your hair down. You look so much better like that.” Uh…thanks…I’ll try to dress up for you more often. ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/29 "2001-01-27T02:57:33Z")
I’m sure there’s a few who can relate to this one: “You have such a pretty face. If only you could lose some weight…” :rolleyes: I even had a _doctor_ tell me this once. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/30 "2001-01-27T02:58:20Z")
“Wow–I didn’t know you had talent!” ---
**Author:** ![activgurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@activgurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/activgurl)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/31 "2001-01-27T03:23:28Z")
I once had a boyfriend who delighted in compliments like these mentioned. He would say, “You’re special, in an Olympic sort of way”. Special Olympics? How wonderful! ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/32 "2001-01-27T03:32:37Z")
“Oh, you’re so skinny! I hate you!” How on earth do you even _reply_ to that? ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/33 "2001-01-27T03:35:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*“Oh, you’re so skinny! I hate you!” > > How on earth do you even _reply_ to that? \*\* You say, “Thanks for the compliment, I’m sure you could look this good too with some exercise.” ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/34 "2001-01-27T03:43:28Z")
Smirk and say “Gee, what a shame!” ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/35 "2001-01-27T09:01:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sue Duhnym \* > \*\*I once had a Boston woman tell me that she knew I wasn’t from there because I looked like one of those, “Corn-fed Midwestern girls.” > > I asked her if that was supposed to be a compliment and she swore it was. > > What-f-ing-ever. \*\* Uh, Sue, that **is** a compliment, around here. And you DO look like one 'o them cornfed midwestern girls. 😉 –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/36 "2001-01-27T09:24:16Z")
This wasn’t directed at me, but at my best friend, **dlight** (while he was present, BTW)… A guy was describing a co-worker to us: “That guy is so skinny he looks like he’s got some disease! Of course, he’s not as skinny as **dlight** …” I laughed so hard that **dlight** was mad at me for about a week! 😃 One directed at me: after an audition for a part as an extra in a Korean sci-fi movie, the casting lady says, in Broken English, “OK, I think we use you… but we some good-looking people, too. You know anyone good-looking?” I think I may have actually said “Fuck you very much” as I left… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tabithina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f04885/32.png) [@Tabithina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabithina)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/37 "2001-01-27T09:27:58Z")
My MIL, every time I see her: “You’d be so pretty if you would curl your hair and put on some make-up more often.” I _hate_ having my hair in my eyes when I work, so I usually put it back. Baby also loves to tug on bouncy curls. Make-up drives me bananas; I feel like my face is being smothered whenever I use it. I wear it three times a year, tops. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/38 "2001-01-27T13:54:07Z")
Another example of Hamadryad not being able to take a compliment. What they say: “Wow, have you lost weight?” What others would hear: “You look fantastic!” What I hear: “You know, I remember you being a lot fatter.” ---
**Author:** ![Felinecare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Felinecare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Felinecare)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/39 "2001-01-27T14:31:36Z")
_You have such great taste in casual clothes_ from a co-worker. So what, you say? Well, this was back in the days of the suit-only workplace. _That dress makes you look like an eggplant_ Another co-worker. Then he gives me a did-I-say-that-out-loud look of horror and tries to re-coup with _Eggplants are my favorite vegetable!_. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2001, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907/40 "2001-01-27T14:48:46Z")
“You look so young for your age. Why don’t you wear make-up?” Cause not wearing make-up keeps you looking young for your age? Or should I wear make-up to look older? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didja-ever-get-one-of-those-compliments/51907.md?page=3)