# Stupid things people have said to you **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 1, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703 "2005-07-01T15:22:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/121 "2005-07-05T23:10:36Z")
I had Blue Elk and the Agro Hippie over one day for a session, and during a break I grabbed a bag of chips to settle the munchies. They were some new kind of Doritos or something, and I offered them around. AH: Wow! These are good! Where did you get those? Me: The store. Blue Elk and I still crack up over that one. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/122 "2005-07-06T00:04:22Z")
Was dating a guy who, when I mentioned that I knew a girl named Portia, asked, “Who would name their daughter after a car?” A different guy, when told he looked pensive, answered, “No, I’m just thinking.” When I told my students that my new dog had been abused before I got her, one of them asked, totally seriously, in a horrified voice, “Sexually?!?” ---
**Author:** ![xbuckeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9e8a1a/32.png) [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/123 "2005-07-06T00:05:43Z")
One of my favorite retorts to a stupid question. I stole it. CO: What’rya doin’? Me (doing something self explainatory and visually obvious i.e. washing dishes): Eatin’ cookies On a message board Me (scanning posts) **Mint Julep** …F\*ck… and then explains that the asterisk is substituting for a u Me: Hmmm…good thing he/she cleared _that_ up! I kid, I kid! ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/124 "2005-07-06T00:58:17Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > Was dating a guy who, when I mentioned that I knew a girl named Portia, asked, “Who would name their daughter after a car?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/125 "2005-07-06T01:18:37Z")
I’ve got one on me. :o I was meeting Ivylad’s family for the first time, and they are huge Ohio State Buckeye fans. His father was going on and on, and me, being a pert 19-year-old trying to be smart, piped up, “Oh yeah? If there so good how come they’ve never won the Super Bowl?” :smack: I’ve had a co-worker ask “When is Friday the 13th?” ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/126 "2005-07-06T01:19:38Z")
:smack: **They’re**! **They’re** so good! ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/127 "2005-07-06T02:14:37Z")
A friend of mine heard an acquaintance say, “That guy gypped me.” He explained that “gyp” is a racist term referring to a stereotype about gypsies. The acquaintance responded, "It’s not offensive. It’s just like the phrase, “That guy really Jewed you down on the price!” And this was said 100% without irony. ---
**Author:** ![Bigang120](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/db5fbb/32.png) [@Bigang120](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bigang120)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/128 "2005-07-06T03:59:46Z")
Back when I did tech support one of the guys I worked with told a customer his external modem would not turn on because he had it plugged into the top outlet of a two outlet box, and the “voltage drop” was keeping it from working. Yes, he was serious. ---
**Author:** ![Bigang120](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/db5fbb/32.png) [@Bigang120](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bigang120)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/129 "2005-07-06T04:17:28Z")
And of course \*\*all \*\* the people who ask me if my twins are identical. They’re only 3 and already know they’re not, as one is a boy and the other is a girl. :wally ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/130 "2005-07-06T06:32:16Z")
My ex-FiL finally got a mobile phone so his family could keep in touch at all times, as he was getting old and infirm. To save the batteries he kept it off at all times - he thought you only needed to turn it on to _make_ a call. :smack: I don’t think they ever forgave me for laughing for about 10 minutes when I found this out. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/131 "2005-07-06T13:07:40Z")
My BiL said to this kids as they jumped into the pool “Be careful, it’s full of **pariah** ”. I suddenly got a mental picture of a pool full of Calcutta’s Outcasts and such and bust out laughing. I was sorry after as he seemed hurt by my finding it funny. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2005, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/132 "2005-07-06T13:17:37Z")
> [@Nicodemus2004](#): > > My BiL said to this kids as they jumped into the pool “Be careful, it’s full of **pariah** ”. What the hell did he mean to say?? I got nuthin’. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/133 "2005-07-06T13:20:34Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > Was dating a guy who, when I mentioned that I knew a girl named Portia, asked, “Who would name their daughter after a car?” I’m guessing that he has never read anything by Mercedes Lackey. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/134 "2005-07-06T13:23:59Z")
I’m guessing piranha? ---
**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:** [July 6, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/135 "2005-07-06T13:31:12Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I’m guessing piranha? D’oh! :smack: Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/136 "2005-07-06T13:54:23Z")
> [@CateAyo](#): > > “Maybe you could identify this animal I saw today. It was like a cow, only real massive and it had these hangy-downy things under it.” So what was it? Cow? Bull? Horse? Unusually large goat? ---
**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:** [July 6, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/137 "2005-07-06T14:01:20Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I’m guessing that he has never read anything by Mercedes Lackey. Or seen “A Fish Called Wanda” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/138 "2005-07-06T16:25:29Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > I’m planning a trip to Australia, and you’d think I’d be used to large distance scales after living in California for seven years, and I _still_ catch myself thinking the cities in Australia are close together Have you read Bryson’s _In a Sunburned Country_? He talks about this a bit. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/139 "2005-07-06T16:50:09Z")
“Ask about our Term Life policies that pay you back even if you don’t die.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703/140 "2005-07-06T17:32:51Z")
A training manager in our DC office called me and said that some of the users had suggested there be an index in our WordPerfect documentation, and she agreed. I had to tell her to look in the _back_ of the manual, because that’s where we put it. **Thought to myself:** “As opposed to that thing in the front, which we call the Table of Contents.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-people-have-said-to-you/310703.md?page=8)