# Weird compliments you've received. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 22, 2012, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292 "2012-01-22T08:39:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/1 "2012-01-22T08:39:33Z")
So the other day, I’m leading our Ladies Room group (it’s like affective ed. for teenage girls) and a student says, “Yeah, this white girl…” and I say, “Hey! There’s a white girl in the room!” Without missing a beat, she says, “Oh phst, Miss, you _black_!” And then my heart swelled with some kind of pride, like I was an honorary member of the Black & Brown Ladies Club, at least in my classroom. Another student (same school, different kid) said I was ‘two per cent nigga’. A few years ago, my Latino ESL students proclaimed me an Honorary Mexican (they would not, however, issue me a visa, in the name of fairness. ;)). I know these are compliments, but I would have never thought of them as such until hearing them. I remember when I was dating my son’s father and he said something like, “I love watching you wash the dishes,” when I was cleaning up after lunch. Now, commenting on a woman cleaning in the kitchen usually gets a frown, but what he was really saying was, “I love watching you do normal everyday things in your normal everyday life because I love you.” Anyone else get a ‘weird’ compliment you wouldn’t have thought of? (Or weird to you?) They aren’t backwards compliments, exactly ("…for a girl…") - they’re the kind of compliment that could be taken as an insult if put into another context? There’s nothing demeaning about it at all, it’s just an odd one? ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/2 "2012-01-22T09:07:18Z")
Said to me yesterday: “You socially awkward being. And that’s why I love you.” ---
**Author:** ![LightWithoutHeattttttttttttttt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc8723/32.png) [@LightWithoutHeattttttttttttttt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LightWithoutHeattttttttttttttt)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/3 "2012-01-22T14:22:47Z")
I have given a weird complement: My wife and her long-time friend were reminiscing about a rock concert they attended years ago. My wife said “Wasn’t that the show where the girl a few rows up got nailed in the head with a thrown lemon or something?”. Her friend replied that it was an orange and went on how she remembered the smell of the residue and the color and everything. She was sure it was an orange. At this moment I stepped in and said “You have a great memory for citrus”. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/4 "2012-01-22T15:59:40Z")
Heard from a patient of mine: “You’re a great doctor because you’re not actually trying to hurt us. You’ve even helped people.” From his perspective, that was high praise, so I took it as such. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/5 "2012-01-22T16:31:34Z")
I was recently told by an absolutely adorable young waitress at my favored drinking establishment that I am the cutest, sexiest man she knows that is older than her dad, and that she thinks I should meet her mom. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/6 "2012-01-22T16:50:02Z")
In college a boyfriend said to me, “you remind me of Ruth Bader-Ginsburg.” Not exactly what a 20 year expects to hear, but I was touched. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/7 "2012-01-22T16:53:51Z")
I once had a stripper tell me I smelled good. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/8 "2012-01-22T16:55:25Z")
Yesterday at Wendy’s a guy who might have been insane or on drugs came in and made it obvious that he knew the countergirl. When she turned to make someone’s order ready he said “She’s my girlfriend, even though she’s married. Isn’t she cute? She’s beautiful, she reminds me of my hamster.” ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/9 "2012-01-22T17:10:01Z")
I spent many weekends last summer exhibiting and selling my photographs at outdoor art shows. At one show a woman spent perhaps five or six minutes looking closely and intently at each of the 30 or so framed pictures, then looked up at me standing just outside the booth. “I _love_ your signature,” she said, then walked off. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5ac83/32.png) [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/10 "2012-01-22T17:13:10Z")
Two folks have commented on how “quietly” I walk … one female, one male – who is now my spouse. He loves it that I don’t torture myself by wearing high heels … ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/11 "2012-01-22T17:58:45Z")
My boss told me that I am, in fact, not Socially Awkward Penguin, and to always keep being my wacky self. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/12 "2012-01-22T18:16:11Z")
I was helping a lady check out her library books and she told me I have a “beautiful aura.” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![ballardfam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@ballardfam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ballardfam)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/13 "2012-01-22T18:32:44Z")
My sister said about my daughter: She never lies. Not even white lies. But even when she’s telling you something you’d rather not hear you know she’s not judging and she really likes you anyway. ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/14 "2012-01-22T18:44:41Z")
My sweetie once told me that, “You have a gift for saying things that are really deep, but sound funny at first glance.” ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/15 "2012-01-22T18:45:49Z")
At the end of a long, frustrating day, my boss turned to me and said, “I can’t wait until you’re on [that other] team.” The catch was that the other team was designing software my team was using, and doing a poor job – he wanted to get me over there so I’d be better placed to give input / effect change. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/16 "2012-01-22T18:49:14Z")
Just this last week. “Thanks for helping me (blah blah blah) You are competent.” Um, ok. 🙂 ---
**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:** [January 22, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/17 "2012-01-22T19:13:51Z")
I was taking a yoga class, and someone said that I would make a good yoga teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Ducky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrs_ducky/32/6227_2.png) [@Mrs\_Ducky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Ducky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/18 "2012-01-22T19:18:54Z")
The first time I met my father-in-law, he hugged me and said to my husband, “Boy, I do believe that this is the biggest woman I’ve ever seen you with. Ya can’t even feel her ribs when ya hug 'er!” ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/19 "2012-01-22T19:42:50Z")
> [@Mrs\_Ducky](#): > > The first time I met my father-in-law, he hugged me and said to my husband, “Boy, I do believe that this is the biggest woman I’ve ever seen you with. Ya can’t even feel her ribs when ya hug 'er!” Did you _smack_ him? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![MsJinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/278dde/32.png) [@MsJinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsJinx)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292/20 "2012-01-22T20:23:03Z")
As part of marriage counseling many years ago, my (now ex-) husband had the assignment of giving me at least three compliments a day. I had not lost all of the weight yet after having a baby, and was sensitive about it. We were working in the yard and I was sweating like crazy. His idea of a compliment, said with complete sincerity: “You’d sweat a lot more if you were fatter.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-compliments-youve-received/610292.md?page=2)