# Weird mannerism - guy doesn't know when conversation ends. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 28, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197 "2005-01-28T22:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197/21 "2005-01-29T14:14:00Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Like your co-worker, I would just keep standing there, because it wasn’t clear to me that the conversation was over. I was under the impression that when you’re finished talking to someone, you excuse yourself some kind of way, not just switch gears. Each of us thought the other was rude, but I still think it was him, or at least partly him. It’s a little different then what you describe here. It’s usually one-on-one conversations. And it’s not so much that he’s a talker, and can’t shutup. I think he just misunderstands my conversation enders and body language (that basically says, “Ok dude, stop looking at me, we’re done talking”). > [@](#): > > What is it you say that ends the conversation verbally? I say things very simliar to what **Sam Stone** had mentioned: > [@Sam Stone](#): > > Man, that’s a great story. Thanks for telling me. Anyway, I’d better get back to work… I’ve been saying these things for years, people usually get it. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197/22 "2005-01-29T15:11:10Z")
Just tell him that you’d love to chat, but you’ve got a meeting with the Bobs. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197/23 "2005-01-29T16:36:17Z")
Ah, yes, the Great and Almighty Cabal of the Bobs… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197/24 "2005-01-29T18:27:15Z")
I feel all self-conscious now because I know I do this sometimes. I don’t want to do it, but I there are times when I miss the cues. It’s not like there is a standard and unambiguous way to signal the end of the conversation. (I know there are common ways to do it, but it seems like different people attach different weights to different signals.) Well, actually, I suppose there are unambiguous ways to end a conversation, but they tend to be blunt and come off as rude. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197/25 "2005-01-29T18:50:44Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > And sorry to continue the hijack, but if you were really getting it on and enjoying it would you seriously end everything right then and there because of a little accidental innocent poot? > > Then again, I mean if somebody really makes a face and forces out some house shaking parakeet killing monster, that’s another thing. > > But it’s never happened to me and I don’t think your first post completely summed it up. JOKE n. 1. Something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement, especially an amusing story with a punch line. 2. A mischievous trick; a prank. 3. An amusing or ludicrous incident or situation. 4. Informal. 1. Something not to be taken seriously; a triviality: The accident was no joke. 2. An object of amusement or laughter; a laughingstock: His loud tie was the joke of the office. v. joked, jok·ing, jokes ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197/26 "2005-01-29T20:30:12Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > No, really. Her normal mode is talking non-stop; the rest of the family is lucky if we can get a word in edgewise, yet she complains that “we never tell her anything.” But when she finally runs out of words, she’ll just stare at you. Are you my sister-in-law? my MIL is like this, but without the staring bit. The cruelest thing in the world would be to put her in a room all by herself. I have to deal with a guy tangentially related to my lab. He will go on and on, repeating the same things three or four times. I had to talk with him recently, and I managed to keep the call to about 15 minutes of useful dialogue. Otherwise it would have been about 40 minutes. I used to go on, but I learned to finish up a conversation. For me, the close is something like summing up what was said, relating the current exchange to the original topic and summarizing, making a verbal to do list, or saying “I’ll go get that started **right now**.” Vlad/Igor ---
**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:** [January 29, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197/27 "2005-01-29T20:56:00Z")
All I can suggest are more obvious clues. I’m not always great about picking up on subtle hints about things. I don’t see anything wrong with “I need to end our conversation now because I’m working on this spreadsheet.” If it’s a work related conversation, maybe ask him “Do we need to schedule time on the calendar to talk about this tomorrow?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-mannerism-guy-doesnt-know-when-conversation-ends/287197.md?page=1)