# Random compliments from strangers that brighten your day **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 4, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504 "2013-05-04T23:02:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/61 "2013-05-12T16:18:15Z")
I have a laptop bag that is made of green and gold fabric, in a kind of scrolls and magnolia print, with shiny embroidery. It looks exotic, but I got it from Staples It is about 7 years old, but I don’t use it very often, so it is in good shape. I receive many compliments for it, but the best one was when someone thought it belonged to a celebrity who was touring our facility. Someone said “oh, Miss so-and-so, you forgot your bag” The celebrity shook her headband said that it wasn’t hers but she wished it was . ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/62 "2013-05-12T17:59:58Z")
A few years ago, I was taking part in the Edinburgh marathon, which finished off with a route through a local housing estate. An old man staggered out of his house, came up the garden path and tried to hand me a chocolate bar as I ran past his gate, calling to me “You’ve got to fight this anorexia, love” If you’ve ever seen me in person, you’d know I _really_ don’t have the typical built of an anorexic woman! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/63 "2013-05-12T18:29:09Z")
Received a comment of a sexual nature from a pair of young ladies while stepping off a Metrobus. 😃 ---
**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:** [May 13, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/64 "2013-05-13T13:47:13Z")
A four year old girl asked me why I was wearing “that thing” on my arm. After I explained I had broken a bone and needed to wear the cast until it got better, she asked me how she could get one. When I asked her why she would want one, she touched the purple cast and said “It’s so pretty.” ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/65 "2013-05-14T00:13:35Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > What cologne was it? A week ago I was walking and a guy walked by with amazing cologne. I asked him what it was and he said Perry Ellis. I bought some, but I don’t know if I got the right kind. IIRC, I got shafted like that before, also. Asked, bought, wept. Perry Ellis must smell different, way different, on different people. I keep smelling the same smell, and the guys always say “Perry Ellis”, but, when I go to the shops, the PE sample smells like some disinfectant. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/66 "2013-05-14T00:16:29Z")
Years ago, I was outside of an ice cream parlor. Two girls, approx. 8-10 years old were staring at me. I smiled and asked, very politely, what they were looking at. They said “We think you’re the handsomest man we ever saw!” I lived off of that for some months. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/67 "2013-05-14T00:28:03Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > The celebrity shook her headband said that it wasn’t hers but she wished it was > . The celebrity wasn’t Lindsay Lohan, was it? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/68 "2013-05-14T06:00:02Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > IIRC, I got shafted like that before, also. Asked, bought, wept. > Perry Ellis must smell different, way different, on different people. I keep smelling the same smell, and the guys always say “Perry Ellis”, but, when I go to the shops, the PE sample smells like some disinfectant. Put the sample on your wrist or inner elbow, walk around for half an hour, then sniff the sample. Or have someone else sniff it. Scents will react differently on different people. ---
**Author:** ![ttf3289](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@ttf3289](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ttf3289)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/69 "2013-05-15T22:14:19Z")
…the kids who play street basketball in my neighborhood, lined up and applauded the day I drove my used Boxster home for the first time. No Kidding! I always thought the automotive appeal myth was just that, but people are always paying attention, and asking to have their picture taken with it (for which I should charge a fee) …strangers pull up at the house curb and want to talk about it. It has really thrown the “pale” over previous mentions of “nice shoes”, “great hat”, and “not with…” sorry, got to keep the audience in mind :0) Gentlemen, I have found there is truly no substitute for the right set of wheels. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/70 "2013-05-15T22:39:36Z")
Not a compliment for me, but close enough… I was eating in a restaurant with my sister and her one-year-old boy, and a young woman walked up to our table and told my sister how cute the baby was. The funny part is that her compliment ended with, “And the shape of his head is just perfect!” She stopped then and seemed kind of embarrassed (probably one of those “it sounded better in my mind” situations), but my sister smiled and sincerely thanked her for the nice comment. Even my nephew smiled. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/71 "2013-05-15T22:49:58Z")
Back when I was beautiful, I got compliments from random strangers, but also a few uncompliments. (sleezy men, bitchy women) Now, strangers tell me what a hot car I have. Even though I know it’s pretty, it’s 13 years old and paid for, it still brings back that feeling. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/72 "2013-05-16T19:39:13Z")
Last week one of my customers said to me, “You probably hear this a lot but you’re definitely the nicest and most helpful Payless employee I’ve ever met.” Actually, no one has ever told me that and it almost made me cry. I try to be the nicest and most helpful and I know my customers like me but this was just awesome and made my week. Last night a customer told me she loved my nails, which is funny because I got them from the pharmacy. 😃[They really do look awesome and have been on for 2 weeks with no breaking or falling off.](http://www.broadwaynails.com/products/french-nails/practical-everyday-nails-with-selftabs/) ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/73 "2013-05-20T13:57:12Z")
I have (fake) blonde hair and live in a country (Japan) with very few natural blondes. I was at the airport waiting for a domestic flight when a girl of about 3 pointed at me and said, “Look Daddy, a princess!” She obviously had me comfused with the Disney princesses, and wasn’t dissuaded despite my lack of makeup/general sloppiness. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504/74 "2013-05-20T20:51:07Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > …The funny part is that her compliment ended with, “And the shape of his head is just perfect!”… Regarding compliments on normally unnoticed body part shapes… When I was going through the many steps to be discharged from the Navy, one required stop was to the ship’s dentist, where they would put my teeth into perfect order prior to having me sign a waiver saying I wouldn’t come back to the Navy looking for dental care. As I sat there in the dentist’s chair on the Nimitz, the dentist paused during his routine and started calling the other dentists over. He pointed at my upper jaw and said to them “Have you ever seen a more perfect upper arch?” He asked if I had worn braces and then said “Your parents sure got their money’s worth.” I always thought that was a cool moment, and I wish I could have told my childhood orthodontist about it. These days, some decades later, things have shifted a little—nothing bad, but the perfection is no longer there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-compliments-from-strangers-that-brighten-your-day/657504.md?page=3)