Like some others here, I’ll ask if it seems relevant to the topic of discussion at hand. Example: for some years after I met my best friend, I didn’t know how old she was. She was a married adult, with a home and a job, pretty much like me. Then, one time, I mentioned that I’d been crushing on Jimmy Smits ever since he was on L.A. Law, and she said “Oh, I never watched that; it came on after my bedtime”. Making me go “Huh? How old are you?” Turns out she’s 11 years younger than me, and had a very strict upbringing and had a bedtime til she was well into her teens.
I don’t mind answering the question, unless it’s asked in an offensive manner. Although I’ve always thought if you’re going to lie about your age, you should lie and say you’re considerably older. For instance, I’m 44. If someone asks me and I lie and say I’m 35 (I never lie about it, just demonstrating a point), they’d think “damn, she looks rough!” But if I lie and say I’m 52, they’ll think I look so young!
But I hate, hate, hate when someone insists that I guess how old they are! I feel so trapped. If I guess too young, they act like I’m an idiot, and if I guess too old, it’s offensive. It’s a no-win situation.
I don’t ask unless something the person said makes me curious; when I do ask I begin by giving the reason why I got curious. Like, he mentions being unable to watch Grease the first time it came on theaters; ok, that would make him about my age and I’m curious to know whether I’m older or younger “just because”. I’d mention I wasn’t able to watch it either and that I’m a '68 vintage and what vintage is he if he doesn’t mind my asking.
When people ask, I expect them to also have the courtesy of telling. Same about any other personal details… where are you from, where do you live, profession, professional history, whatever. What we used to call “the file” back in High School.
I don’t really ever ask someone how old they are, because it usually doesn’t matter to me.
I do get asked fairly often how old I am, because I look younger than I am and I guess my statements about stuff that happened several years ago (ie, “No, I graduated college in 2000”; I get asked if I’m a student a lot) doesn’t mesh with peoples’ ideas of how old I am.
I don’t ask people their age unless it comes up; then, I don’t have a problem with doing it. I mean, I’m just going to forget five minutes later, anyway.
I usually get annoyed when people ask me my age. My dad was recently in the hospital for a month, and several of the nurses either asked my age or assumed I was the younger sister. Which, incidentally, I’m not; my sister’s 17, and I’m 22. Of course, this has been going on pretty much since she hit puberty, so I’m used to it, but it still pisses me off.
I think that some of it stems from the fact that I’m the youngest out of the people I usually hang out with. I’ve also been the youngest person in my department (by at least three years) at work since I started over two years ago. Most of the time, my age isn’t relevant; I mean, I know the systems here better than almost anyone, and the fact that I make you feel old has no bearing on that.
I get askerd the question frequently, because I look young and did all my babymaking before I was 25. So last week when I mentioned getting a tuxedo for my oldest son for his prom, I got asked. I don’t really mind.
I ask people how old they are anytime I’m discussing some past cultural artifact. I like to know if they were collecting the toys from the Thundercats series, or getting high to it.
I don’t like the question much because my chronological age doesn’t really go with my mental image of myself (nor does that hag in the mirror–who is she, anyway?)
But I have lied when it seemed polite. For instance once, when I was playing tennis for the first time (tennis ladder), when I said my kids were around somewhere at the playground this woman gushed and said I didn’t look old enough to have kids. Then she saw them and said I certainly didn’t look old enough to have kids that big (they were 8 and 11). I didn’t really understand what she was doing (not that I didn’t eat it up, looking younger and all) but then she finally came right out and asked about my age and then confessed, “I’m 40, myself.”
Well, I had thought she was older, not because she looked older but because she acted older. As it turned out I had turned 40 myself about a week before. But at this point it seemed the gap between my mental age (17) and chronological age had narrowed considerably … so I avoided it. (Rather than saying, "Ha ha, I’m forty, too–I only act like a teenager.)
This sort of gets into the “I’m young at heart–you’re immature” kind of thinking.
In an office setting, I always hate it when people ask me my age. The person who is asking always has a tone in their voice that suggests that I may be too young to help them with their questions. Outside of the office I have no problems with people who ask my age.
Usually when parents ask me how old I am, they are using my age as a reference so that they can try to figure out what policies were or were not in place in the school system when I was that age.
Everyone is bitching about people thinking they are young. Am I the only person in the entire world that people consistiently think is older than they are? And it’s not that I hit puberty too early, or anything, but when I was in high school, people assumed I was in college, when I was in college, people assumed I was in grad school, and now that I teach, people always assume I’ve been at it at least ten years, when it’s more like five. Oddly enough, all my closest friends these days are in their 50s, which is mostly because people my age (29) mostly have small children, and I don’t.
I don’t mind talking about my age. I will admit it stings a LITTLE when people assume I am older, but that is usually because kids have no historical perspective (What did you think of Watergate/Freedome Rides/New Deal?). I never ask, just because that seems rude.
Everyone except bartenders thinks I’m at least 23, usually more like 25. I’m 19. Not that big a difference, maybe, but it’s apparently a pretty significant difference in college student years.
Lately I’ve noticed older people working it into a conversation. Heck, sometimes they don’t even bother to work it in – they just come out with it. “How old do you think I am?” I hate that question, because I always guess too high!
I don’t mind telling people my age. I also don’t hesitate to ask my peers.
the reasons for asking age when you’re a teenager, I guess, are more innocent… stuff like- should I ask you what high school you’re going to? Do you drive? Will you be graduating soon and going to college and leaving me? Are your parents completely insane for thinking you’re too young to have a boyfriend? Can you vote? Would you be able to help me with my trigonometery homework? What are the chances that you’ve already read Pride and Prejudice? would you know so-and-so who went to your school or were they gone before you got there?
When people ask me my age (and it’s not for an obvious reason) it’s usually a good thing. It seems a lot of people my age are complete idiots (or are viewed as such. I know a lot of non-idiots my age and younger) and I get a lot of “you’re only fourteen? wow! I wasn’t that smart at fourteen.” (they probably were. I just don’t say “like” too much and I don’t use txt spk so it’s easy to appear smarter than my peers.)
I don’t think I’ve ever had a reason to ask someone their age. It’s not like I date females close enough to the age of consent for that to be relevant. If someone asks me, I just tell them.
Occasionally online I might ask. It helps get me a sense of where the other person is coming from.
I can’t remember a time when I have done so in real life, except with someone I knew well. I don’t mind if people ask and I always tell them.
I was surprised that it was a common question that I was asked when I was in Japan. (Also my weight.) Those two questions aren’t usually asked of people where I am from. It didn’t bother me (either one) but surprised me.
When I was in college the assitent dean and I were out to a college function. On the way home he told me to guess his age. I guessed mid 30s - and I thought I was being kind. He was 28.
I don’t usually ask unless it’s somehow related to a conversation. When I get asked it’s almost always by much younger people who think that I’m much younger than I am.
When high school boys ask me what school I go to I never have the heart to tell them that I graduated before they were born. This actually happens more than you would think. I aint complaining.
