# Things NOT to say or ask in company. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 13, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371 "2009-03-13T22:10:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [March 13, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/1 "2009-03-13T22:10:55Z")
I just asked “Can a plane on a treadmill take off?” and quickly began to regret it. The resultant debate is still active and I have long since stopped speaking in order to let the more stubbourn debatees carry it on. The debate started to include props (tennis ball, sheets of paper). The bebatees went outside for a cigarette. (I don’t smoke, but I’ve already left them to it anyway). They have just come back in - still talking about it. (Actually. I don’t regrett it. That’s just a figure of speech, so to speak. In truth it’s rather amusing that the mention of a few choice words can trigger such an event) It’d be interesting to hear of other phrases or questions that are guaranteed to either cause the asker/sayer to regrett it, or trigger a debate, or both. So do you have any? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/2 "2009-03-13T22:12:21Z")
“So, what do you think about the current government?” I asked that one at my friends’ place back around Thanksgiving. Bad move. ---
**Author:** ![donnah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@donnah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donnah)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/3 "2009-03-13T22:24:58Z")
is scientology really similar to baptist? (per will smith) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/4 "2009-03-13T23:05:27Z")
I plan never to ask a dwarf, “How’s the weather up there?” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/5 "2009-03-14T00:54:56Z")
How old is your daughter now, 12? 13? She’s turned into quite a little hottie, hasn’t she? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/6 "2009-03-14T01:35:42Z")
Any question regarding politics or religion will do - but among geeks, any question at all, on any subject, can lead to angry debate. I once killed an evening for a good third of the participants by trying to apply Straight Dope to a fellow who tried to shine with the old saw that the English two-finger salute has its roots in the Battle of Agincourt. We were at it for a good three hours, IIRC. Then we moved on to “Fornicating Under Consent of King” I believe. I must admit, at the end of the evening, I kinda felt like a chartered accountant. Or a tax lawyer. But by Jove, I was RIGHT ! ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/7 "2009-03-14T02:30:42Z")
Calculating the time between a child’s birth and the parents’ wedding. Best not done over communal breakfast at a B&B. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/8 "2009-03-14T02:52:16Z")
“Why are you nudging me under the table?” ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/9 "2009-03-14T02:54:14Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I just asked “Can a plane on a treadmill take off?” and quickly began to regret it. So don’t leave us hanging. What’s the answer? ---
**Author:** ![KnitWit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@KnitWit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnitWit)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/10 "2009-03-14T03:49:55Z")
If you’re an easy-going, non-jealous-type bride, (or any other kind for that matter) do not sit down at the rehearsal dinner and say, “I can’t believe my fiancé went to a strip club last night! That’s so not like him!” Because, you know, all the other women at the table will say, “He went WHERE?” ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/11 "2009-03-14T04:31:49Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > “So, what do you think about the current government?” I asked that one at my friends’ place back around Thanksgiving. Bad move. My dad’s a hard lefty and asked this question of a couple whom we had already discovered were from Idaho, wealthy, farmers, retired, and loved NASCAR. WTF was he THINKING? ---
**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:** [March 14, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/12 "2009-03-14T06:02:18Z")
> [@Nancarrow](#): > > So don’t leave us hanging. What’s the answer? 1. ---
**Author:** ![Ellef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8dc957/32.png) [@Ellef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellef)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/13 "2009-03-14T09:04:35Z")
In the UK, asking for an explanation of the offside rule in soccer is never a good idea. It’s one of those things that you know when you see it, but it’s very difficult to explain without someone ending up in tears. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/14 "2009-03-14T12:28:18Z")
“So how’s that paternity suit going?” ---
**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/15 "2009-03-14T14:47:47Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I just asked “Can a plane on a treadmill take off?” and quickly began to regret it. I’m guessing “yes.” I’ll second the politics/religion suggestion, people can get started on those very easily. Around geeks it really is just about anything, even “nice day, isn’t it” could lead to a discussion of weather patterns, el nino, la nina, global warming, and the benefits of a giant space mirror. Oh, geeky movies are almost a sure thing (like it, hate it, would be better if, the science of x is/isn’t…). ---
**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:** [March 14, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/16 "2009-03-14T20:50:39Z")
> [@Telcontar](#): > > I’m guessing “yes.” ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IbRcg3ji_Pc/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/IbRcg3ji_Pc?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/17 "2009-03-14T21:28:07Z")
More in line with the op example, people I know still occasionally argue cavemen vs. astronauts as brought up on Angel. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/18 "2009-03-14T22:03:29Z")
At our CleveDopeFests, the quickest way to halt all other conversation is to ask, “So, what do YOU call the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street?” It’s gotten so now I time how long it takes before the topic is raised! ---
**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:** [March 14, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/19 "2009-03-14T22:56:34Z")
er… I call it ‘grass’. Is there supposed to be a specific name for it? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371/20 "2009-03-14T23:21:53Z")
It’s called a tree lawn. And “Do you still have that \*problem \*you caught from that guy?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-not-to-say-or-ask-in-company/489371.md?page=2)