# What words, when uttered, will cause your friend to run shrieking away from you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 30, 2008, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215 "2008-07-30T09:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/1 "2008-07-30T09:06:13Z")
Personally, well, there’s this friend of mine who is all good and etc., but the moment he launched into the need to build a pipeline for himself and to be financially independent, I really feel like running away, shrieking “No more! No more!” I guess for my case, if I ever utter “Would you like to playtest my new board game?”, even before I get to the “new” I bet most of my friends have already find the nearest convenient exit, even be it a window. So what are your Words of Fear that will cause your friends to get away from you? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/2 "2008-07-30T13:10:46Z")
“Anyone fancy a bit of bushcraft this weekend”? Cue my urbanite mates recoiling in horror at the thought of spending a weekend in the woodswith the creepy-crawlies, with no mobile reception and only an open fire to cook over. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beanpod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@beanpod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beanpod)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/3 "2008-07-30T13:34:44Z")
[QUOTE=CrazyChop] “Would you like to playtest my new board game?”, [/QUOTE] You just need some new friends! My group would love it. Seriously, you make board games? That’s neat. Professionally, or as a hobby? ETA: Or, I just realized you could be talking about a new board game you _bought._ :smack: The word “playtest” suggested that you make them? When they’re over for a casual weekend and I say “So, who wants to help me cook dinner?” there’s always sudden talk of where we’re going to eat out. One friend in particular runs away whenever I mention when my husband and I are planning on kids. Makes him feel old, he says. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/4 "2008-07-30T14:58:59Z")
“When my first wife and I were still married, she. . .” ---
**Author:** ![nd\_n8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/439d5e/32.png) [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/5 "2008-07-30T15:48:07Z")
“So I was reading this message board the other day…” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/6 "2008-07-30T15:51:09Z")
[QUOTE=nd\_n8] “So I was reading this message board the other day…” [/QUOTE] Good one. Or “But the scientific evidence suggests…” ---
**Author:** ![nd\_n8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/439d5e/32.png) [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/7 "2008-07-30T16:05:45Z")
And for my kids, anything I have learned in various therapy and classes over the past year: “Your brother didn’t ‘make’ you angry, anger is a feeling and _your_ feelings come from _you_ - not him. It’s ok to be angry but it’s not ok to hit your brother with a book.” “You are not a puppet, nobody is pulling your strings. Your sister is \*not \* pushing your buttons because you _don’t have_ any buttons to push. She is only annoying you because _you_ are letting her. If she were a complete stranger instead of your sister would you feel the same about how she is acting?” “_You_ are in charge of _you_. You are \*not \* in charge of your brother. If you need to take some quiet time then take it but I have no intention of forcing your brother to stop breathing just because the sound of it annoys you.” – Yeah, my kids love me. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/8 "2008-07-30T19:34:06Z")
“Please run, shrieking, away from me.” I have very obedient friends. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/9 "2008-07-30T20:13:54Z")
“That’s just like that Seinfeld where…” Unfortunately there’s a Seinfeld for damn near everything. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/10 "2008-07-30T20:27:47Z")
Not my friends, but my workgroup: “Ok, who needs something to do?” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/11 "2008-07-30T20:34:16Z")
"Hey, I just learned something really cool at law school today . . . " ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/12 "2008-07-30T20:39:19Z")
“Hi.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/13 "2008-07-30T20:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] “That’s just like that Seinfeld where…” [/QUOTE] That’s a first cousin to “This one time, on the Simpsons…” I’m seeking therapy for it, I swear. ---
**Author:** ![mrsspooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@mrsspooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrsspooky)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/14 "2008-07-30T21:40:26Z")
“I just farted” - it works everytime! ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/15 "2008-07-30T21:50:19Z")
“Anybody up for going bowling?” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/16 "2008-07-30T22:38:15Z")
“Koona t’chuta, Solo?” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/17 "2008-07-30T23:07:09Z")
‘Ugh…’ Because it will lead into either Yet Another Health Complaint, or more recently, pointless venting about how job hunting sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/18 "2008-07-30T23:26:56Z")
For a period of time, “In Japan…” made my friends, one in particular, very aggravated. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/19 "2008-07-31T00:02:14Z")
“Y’know, I’m a Republican…” ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215/20 "2008-07-31T00:27:28Z")
“I need a favor.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-uttered-will-cause-your-friend-to-run-shrieking-away-from-you/458215.md?page=2)