# What do you like...according to other people? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2007, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106 "2007-12-24T06:23:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/1 "2007-12-24T06:23:32Z")
Apparently, I like dolphins. My mother is convinced this is so, and has given me a lot of dolphin stuff over the years. I got a stained glass dolphin from my best friend for Christmas too, because she knew I liked them… 😕 I don’t _dis_like dolphins, but they don’t make the shortlist of animals I’m fond of. My favorite animals are squirrels, turtles & tortoises, and jellyfish. I like elephants, bats, and giraffes too. I have little idea why they think I’m so fond of dolphins, but it’s okay since it’s the thought that counts. In my mom’s case I can hazzard a guess that she thinks this because I still have a dolphin decoration I bought when I was in high school. It has dolphins on it, but I bought it because it’s prismatic and catches light, not because of the dolphins. I have no idea why the friend thinks I like them. What do **multiple** other people think you like, but you are indifferent to or dislike? One person thinking you like something is a fluke, more than one person, especially if they don’t know really each other, is kind of baffling… ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/2 "2007-12-24T06:32:36Z")
Purple things. Because I’m _Canadian_. “Canadians like purple, right?” I’m told. I… I don’t know what to say. I don’t hate it, but it happens often enough to make me wonder what in the world… A little off topic, but related: I also once received a poem by Edward Lear - the Owl and the Pussycat - from someone who _knew_ I’d love it because… _I have red hair_. I mean, I _do_ love it, but… what an odd connection. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/3 "2007-12-24T06:32:48Z")
I can’t say I’ve ever had this happen, although it’s an interesting idea. I’ll see if any examples appear this Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/4 "2007-12-24T07:16:38Z")
[QUOTE=Anastasaeon] Purple things. Because I’m _Canadian_. “Canadians like purple, right?” [/QUOTE] Of course Canadians like purple, don’t be silly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/5 "2007-12-24T07:18:37Z")
My aunt thinks that I like to dress like an old lady. I can tell by the hand-me-down clothes she tries to give me. I’ll pass on your appliqued sweatshirts and elastic-waisted mom jeans for now, thanks! Ask me again in 30 years. My next-door neighbor, an Iraqi refugee, thinks that I love spare tires. One time he helped me change a flat out in the parking lot, and from then on he keeps leaving me spare tires by the door. He doesn’t speak much English and I know he means well but I don’t have any more room to stash spare tires. ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/6 "2007-12-24T07:35:36Z")
Clowns. People give me enough to have a huge collection. I actually find them rather creepy. Can’t find the heart to tell them though since they’ve been doing it for years. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/7 "2007-12-24T13:46:08Z")
[Wool Slipper Socks](http://www.jackpurcell.com/acornslippersocks/acornslipper.jpg) I have gotten a pair of these for the last several years for Christmas from more than one relative. I have a tendency to wear wool socks, I love them, but I have not worn slipper socks for 20 years…then four or five years ago, people thought I needed them :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/8 "2007-12-24T13:55:33Z")
Lemon meringue pie. I must have gone overboard with praise on one occasion and my grandmother forever after served it to me saying “I made your favourite, dear”. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/9 "2007-12-24T14:06:44Z")
Maxine, or whatever the name is of that newspaper comic panel with the sarcastic old lady. A guy at work got me a Maxine calendar one year, and now several people at work get me Maxine-related things whenever it’s time for cheap gifts. It’s weird, since I’m pretty much the complete opposite of Maxine’s target demographic, though I have to admit it’s far preferable to getting, say, Cathy or Garfield merchandise. ---
**Author:** ![Purgatory\_Creek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Purgatory\_Creek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purgatory_Creek)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/10 "2007-12-24T14:10:24Z")
Cats. I had a cat once, so people apparently decided I really, really liked cats, and they gave me cat books, cat figurines, cat clothing. That cat lived to be 22 years old, so I have a lot of cat stuff. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/11 "2007-12-24T14:38:51Z")
I have a passion for white chocolate, but all people remember is that I like chocolate. So I get the real stuff, which ain’t bad, but it ain’t what I really like. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/12 "2007-12-24T14:59:30Z")
Cows. And I do like cows…but it took a few years of people telling me I liked them before I realized it was true. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/13 "2007-12-24T15:13:40Z")
[QUOTE=Martha] Lemon meringue pie. I must have gone overboard with praise on one occasion and my grandmother forever after served it to me saying “I made your favourite, dear”. [/QUOTE] I get the same with cheesecake. I think it might be that as a little kid, I took pleasure in being able to follow the instructions on a box of cheesecake mix, and the misconception has spread by osmosis from my mother to other people. As I grew, I could follow a recipe for chocolate cake, but loving that is hardly something noteworthy. Mind you, for years she would give me a novelty Simpsons gift every Christmas and birthday. I don’t _love_ the programme, mother, it’s just the least-worst option at some times of the day! I get all sorts of misconceptions about what music I like or dislike, but I find them fairly understandable. I don’t go out of my way to be esoteric, unpredictible or just odd, I just end up seeming so. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/14 "2007-12-24T15:31:36Z")
[QUOTE=Purgatory Creek] Cats. I had a cat once, so people apparently decided I really, really liked cats, and they gave me cat books, cat figurines, cat clothing. [/QUOTE] I adore my two cats, but I have the same problem. My MIL thinks, apparently, that because I have cats that I must also want cat calendars, cat figurines, cat-decorated shirts, etc. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/15 "2007-12-24T15:58:38Z")
Chocolate covered cherries with the cream type filling. I do not like these. I like chocolate covered cherries with the syrup, like the [Cella’s](http://www.oldtimecandy.com/cellas-chocolate-covered-cherries.htm) brand. Every year my mom gets me a box of chocolate covered cherries with the cream type filling. Every year we have the same conversation about the difference. I am beginning to think, after so many years, my mom is doing it on purpose. MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/16 "2007-12-24T16:03:40Z")
Oh, and ridiculous knives. Cheap-o medival warrior Conan Dungeons and Dragons type crap. Apparently, because at the age of 11 I was into swords, knives, and other weapon-type toys that means I still like them at 38. So when mom went to Germany, instead of a nice German beer stein or clock or even “My mom went to Germany and all I got…” t-shirt, I got a medival “sword” letter opener with a dragon talon gripping a red piece of glass on the hilt. :rolleyes: Thanks mom, really. MeanJoe (God bless my mom, she tries so hard and my snarky posts here do not reflect my affection for her) ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/17 "2007-12-24T16:08:37Z")
This topic made me loller because just the other night my mother-in-law gave me another Pampered Chef pie pan. It’s identical to the one she gave me two years ago. In the past she’s also given me a kit to make miniature cheesecakes, and various other baking items. She thinks I bake all of the time, I guess. I think she got the idea because I make cookies and stuff around the holidays. The irony this (and last) year is that we haven’t had a working oven since we moved into this house almost two years ago. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/18 "2007-12-24T17:34:41Z")
[QUOTE=DeadlyAccurate] [QUOTE=Purgatory Creek] Cats. I had a cat once, so people apparently decided I really, really liked cats, and they gave me cat books, cat figurines, cat clothing. [/QUOTE] I adore my two cats, but I have the same problem. My MIL thinks, apparently, that because I have cats that I must also want cat calendars, cat figurines, cat-decorated shirts, etc. [/QUOTE] Same here! I had a cat for 18 years, and got more cat crap from various people than I can name. I don’t understand why having a cat automatically means liking cat knick-knacks to some people, but the perception seems to be fairly common. Even when my cat died and I was 33, I got a ceramic cat music box from my father (though I’ve kept that, because it plays “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and the cat’s name was Smokey, and it’s probably the most thoughtful thing I’ve ever gotten from him). ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/19 "2007-12-24T17:37:13Z")
Mom mom says what I like is whatever she wants me interested in. Do they learn this in mom school as a torture device? “This is that singer you like.” “Watch this show. It has that actor you like.” “Try this. It has ingredients. You like ingredients.” At least she isn’t always trying to make me eat. “There goes your stomach/blood pressure/diet/.” ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106/20 "2007-12-24T17:45:35Z")
Martinis. I’ve often been given martini glasses, cocktail napkins, even a brooch with a martini on it. I guess I understand that it would make sense for me to be sloshing a martini around with a cigarette in the same hand but I don’t. I hate vodka and gin. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-like-according-to-other-people/431106.md?page=2)