I say “It’s not my birthday.” If they then ask when my birthday is, I pick a date approximately six months off.
Absolutely correct. People use it in normal conversation, as well.
Another one you hear, and read more often only with religious writing or sermons, is “y’mach sh’mo,” which means “May his name be obliterated.” Nowadays one guy only has a lock on that; and occasionally I go full Monty with (the truthful sentence) “My wife and, l’havdil, Hitler, y’mach sh’mo, have the same birthday.”
A fact which gets mentioned by me, usually in her presence, more than is necessary.
ETA: Hey, this actually can get by as being on OP–birthdays! And, no, she don’t say “Thank You,” unless it is with blinding sarcasm and bitter regret for having married me.
“How did you know it’s my birthday?”
Your crotch or theirs?
The “expressly” forbidden is to agree with a compliment about you. For example, if you are a good cook and someone compliments your food, then it’s more polite to deny that the food is good. Agreeing with someone sounds childish.
This also extends to the group you are in when thanked by an outsider. So, of someone says that your wife is beautiful, then you are to disagree with them. Or if your customer says that your company president is wonderful, etc.
For birthdays, when people tell you “congratulations” then the best rely is “iie” which literally translates as “no.” However, it’s softer.
When I was in business and had to interpret for people in business settings, I took a lot of liberty into translating what would be the expected answer in that culture. So hypothetically, if a Japanese client complimented my boss on his beautiful wife, my boss would have said “thank you, I think so, too” and I would have said “Oh no, not at all.”
What do you mean, Happy Birthday?
Do you wish me a happy birthday,or mean that it is a happy birthday whether I want it or not; or that you’re happy this birthday; or that it is a birthday to be happy on?
“Thanks! I’ve lived more life in my forty than you will in your hundred!”
No, I wouldn’t be an asshole, but I would keep in mind the statement above.
Tripler
I’ve lived a metric ton of life.
Let’s keep politics out of General Questions.
NB: and how has this remained in GQ for so long? Somebody needs to do a Colibri wellness check.
I say my age and add “and counting.”