# Questions that make you go "huh?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240 "2004-10-08T18:34:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/21 "2004-10-10T06:12:16Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Has you ever come off as an idiot because you couldn’t answer a question, when in fact the question itself made no sense? Share! > > My contribution: > > Me: I play guitar. > Dumbass kid: What kind of guitar? > Me: Lead, rhythm, whatever. > DAK: Do you play basic guitar? > Me: Wha? > DAK: Basic guitar. Do you play it? > Me: Uh… Do you mean bass guitar? > DAK: No, not bass. Basic. > Me: I don’t know what that is. > DAK: You must not be very good then. > > That was decades ago. I still have no idea what he was talking about. An old BF called his steel 6 string his basic guitar. He also had a Dobro, a classical, and a 12 string. That said, I’m guessing DAK was refering to a classical and was, well… a dumb ass-kid. The :wally. My husband refers to someone who has died, as in a news story etc, as having “Bit the farm” I guess they die from dirt inhalation! ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/22 "2004-10-10T17:10:33Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Errr . . . so do you also call executables “exie files”? (notepad.exe etc.) > > (Is “inny files” what true geeks call them? I’ve always called them “eye en eye files” in my head; never heard it pronounced as far as I can recall.) Um, yeah . . . doesn’t everyone? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/23 "2004-10-10T17:28:34Z")
My coworker’s daughter asked “Is the President the President of, like, the whole world?” She’s 21, but quit high school to get a jump start on starting her family. Note to others planning this: it’s very hard to get all the different baby daddies to pick all the kids up on the same weekend so you can party. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/24 "2004-10-10T18:07:32Z")
I’ve always called them inny’s and exie’s. _shrug_ Never heard anyone call them anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/25 "2004-10-10T19:34:04Z")
Um, sorry for this major hijack of your thread I seem to have caused **tdn** ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/26 "2004-10-10T20:16:05Z")
My fave is the cashier question when I place a cuppa joe and a sammitch on the counter of the local stop n’ slop. Cashier: Is that everything? Me: (to myself) NO! This is what I want to buy, now. Everything is the entire contents of the store, which I don’t need and can’t afford. If I wanted something else, I’d ask for it. Jeez! ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/27 "2004-10-10T20:52:22Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > My fave is the cashier question when I place a cuppa joe and a sammitch on the counter of the local stop n’ slop. > > Cashier: Is that everything? > Me: (to myself) NO! This is what I want to buy, now. Everything is the entire contents of the store, which I don’t need and can’t afford. If I wanted something else, I’d ask for it. Jeez! Reminds me of the sign at Souplantation (a buffet restaurant, known by other names in some areas) that says “Please consume all food on the premises.” ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/28 "2004-10-10T21:08:56Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > Reminds me of the sign at Souplantation (a buffet restaurant, known by other names in some areas) that says “Please consume all food on the premises.” When a host/hostess asks about our “smoking preference,” I say, “We prefer not to smoke.” ---
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/29 "2004-10-10T22:43:25Z")
“NPC, will you please go ‘huh’?” ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/30 "2004-10-10T22:48:06Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > That was decades ago. I still have no idea what he was talking about. I’ve been playing guitar for 25 years and I have no idea what he was talking about. I must not be very good either. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/31 "2004-10-10T23:03:38Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Cashier: Is that everything? > Me: (to myself) NO! This is what I want to buy, now. Everything is the entire contents of the store, which I don’t need and can’t afford. If I wanted something else, I’d ask for it. Jeez! A lot of times there are things that the cashier has to get for you from behind the counter (like cigarettes or a lotto ticket or something) or I have a question or need some help from the cashier, so I like it when they ask that, so I don’t have to wait for them to ring everything up, hit “total” then have me add something else. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/32 "2004-10-10T23:08:32Z")
At my local Waldbaums (or is it Stop 'n Shop?) they make all the cashiers say “Did you find everything you were looking for today?” It’s possible your cashier has no choice in the matter. ---
**Author:** ![PhalPhoto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PhalPhoto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhalPhoto)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/33 "2004-10-10T23:35:19Z")
We moved to Puerto Rico a few years ago and my sister called shortly after we arrived. Our conversation: Her: So, how do you like it? What’s it like? Me: I’m going to have to brush up on my Spanish. Her: They speak Spanish there? Me: … (It gets worse.) Her: I thought they spoke Mexican? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/34 "2004-10-11T00:47:14Z")
When I called to schedule my physical the year I turned 40: **"Mrs. smartini** , would you _like_ a sigmoidoscopy with this exam?" Huh? ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/35 "2004-10-11T06:10:07Z")
I had one just this very morning. We’ve had problems with our oven, so I called the suppliers to see about getting a serviceman out to check it out. The woman on the phone claimed she couldn’t help me without the product number, did I have it. ‘No’ I did not. Was I with the oven now? ‘No, I’m at work, so… can’t I give you the warranty number?’ ‘Yes you can, but it won’t help, you’ll need to check the oven for the product number. It’s inside the oven…’ ‘Ok ,I’ll check it and get back to you, but before I go, where inside the oven is it specifically?’ (y’know, so I’m not looking all over the place). ‘It’s inside the oven.’ ‘Yes, but where?’ ‘Inside the oven.’ ‘Yes, which wall is it on?’ ‘Not the wall, inside the oven.’ ‘Ok, I’m looking in the oven, where do I see the number?’ ‘Inside, inside the oven.’ ‘Is it on the back wall?’ ‘No, not the wall, _inside_ the oven, opposite the door.’ ‘So it’s on the back wall of the oven.’ ‘No, not the wall, _inside_ the oven.’ ‘On the back wall?’ ‘No, _inside the oven_.’ ‘Opposite the door?’ ‘Yes, _inside_ the oven.’ ‘On the back wall of the oven.’ ‘No, not the wall _inside_ the oven’ ‘Which wall of the inside of the oven is the information on? Is it the back wall?’ ‘No, _inside the oven_’ ‘Opposite the door’ ‘Yes’ ‘…on the back wall of the oven’ ‘No, _inside the oven_’ ‘Opposite the door?’ ‘Yes…’ ‘…on the back wall of the oven’ ‘No, opposite the door’ ‘That would be on the back wall.’ ‘Yes!’ ‘uh…’ I hung up then. ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/36 "2004-10-11T06:19:55Z")
But was the number inside the oven or on the wall? ::ducks:: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/37 "2004-10-11T08:42:32Z")
what an apt handle, **Smartini** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/38 "2004-10-11T12:37:29Z")
At one grocery store I worked at, the store accountant was heard to say, “Who’s name tag is this?” ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/39 "2004-10-11T12:48:08Z")
“Did you survive the accident?” ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240/40 "2004-10-11T13:19:10Z")
So, I’m at the YMCA, looking for a Y staff member to show me how to use the new-fangled elliptical trainer gizmo. None could be found in the fitness center, or basketball gym, or free weight room, so I asked the Guy at the admissions desk. **Me** : Hi. Are there any staff around to help with the exercise equipment? **Guy** : You mean, people? **Me** : Yes. People, humans, employees, persons… **Guy** : Are there any in the fitness center? **M:** : No, I haven’t seen any today. **Guy** : Well, there’s supposed to be someone in there. **Me** : Um, I couldn’t find anyone. **Guy** : They wear red shirts. Do you know what that looks like? **Me** : Okay, I know what a shirt is, and I know what red looks like (was he asking whether I was colorblind?), but, no, I did not see any staff members wearing red shirts. **Guy** : Okay, well… I’ll go look (walks to fitness center, looks around). **Me** : Maybe they’re on break? (Maybe he could buzz the employee smoking lounge?) **Guy** : (Looks around) huh. I don’t see anyone either. Just then, Mr. Telius (a private personal trainer who happened to be working out there that day and who was not foolish) stepped up and offered to help. Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. The thing is, the Guy was _completely_ polite the entire time, or else he would have gotten a bigger whuppin of snarky right back. And he didn’t otherwise seem to be of sub-average intelligence. I probably just rendered him stupid with my blinding beauty. P.S. I’d change my User Name to **whuppin of snarky** , but that’s just asking for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-that-make-you-go-huh/268240.md?page=3)