# What would a total stranger comment on/ask you about? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681 "2022-04-11T19:31:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/61 "2022-04-12T22:27:49Z")
A _total_ stranger? Probably nothing. But someone I’ve perhaps just met and talking to because of where I’m from and what I’ve done. Especially when I mention having worked for the U.S. Dept. of State. Almost without exception people ask some variation of: “Were you a spy?” or “Were you CIA?” I plan to start answering ‘yes’ after we move. Also, being from Alaska can elicit various questions, the dumbest of which is “Oh, my friend Bill Smith lives there; do you know him?” or “Do you know Sarah Palin?” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/62 "2022-04-12T22:42:12Z")
> [@brad\_d](#): > > “Are those triplets?” Perhaps not quite in the spirit of the OP, because it’s not exactly about _me_ - but I get asked that a lot by complete strangers when I’m out with my sons. Twice today, in fact. > > Yes, they are triplets. Identical, even. From MAD Magazine’s “Snappy Answers To Stupid Questions”: Identical twin boys, identically dressed, both wearing glasses – the mother is asked, “Are they twins?” The answer: “No, they’re a pair of identical strangers!” ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/63 "2022-04-12T22:44:19Z")
The baby. Cause when a baby is out in public people lose all fucking sense of personal space and boundaries. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/64 "2022-04-12T22:53:55Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Yes, I looked up “Kurzwaren” on several dictionary sites, and they all told me that “haberdashery” is the British English translation while “petty wares” is the American. But you can’t always trust those sites. I wouldn’t trust that site either! Never in my life have I (an American) heard the phrase “petty wares.” And I’m **old**. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/65 "2022-04-12T22:56:31Z")
Is it haberdashery then, also in American English? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/66 "2022-04-12T23:48:28Z")
People ask me for directions a lot. I also get _ **a lot** _ of comments on my hair. When I straightened my hair, nobody cared, but now that my hair is very large, and very curly, I get comments on it all the time. I also sometimes put my hair in super long braids, which people comment on all the time. I get stray comments on my clothes. My mask collection is pretty decent. Lots of comments on some of my ridiculous masks. Hey, if I have to wear this stupid thing, might as well enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/67 "2022-04-12T23:50:48Z")
Hey, welcome back @MeanOldLady ! I missed you. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2022, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/68 "2022-04-12T23:52:37Z")
Hey, hi! Way to make an old gal feel loved. There are so many distracting places on the internet now, I guess I forgot about this one. Good to see you guys. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/69 "2022-04-13T00:28:28Z")
[Here’s](https://blogs.transparent.com/polish/przeklenstwa-curse-words/) an option. Hey, **MeanOldLady**!!! Long time no see!!! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/70 "2022-04-13T00:54:00Z")
Aww, shucks… > [@snowthx](#): > > And I am here to tell y’all - upgrading anything in Gato’s gear isn’t likely to improve anything. You are quite right! I’ve been hammering down the face on 203-207’s for so long, its just a question of muscle memory at this point. I don’t think I could ‘relearn’ to ski on the new equipment, and don’t really see any reason to. I’m having a ball! Anything different would likely cause a flayrod to go out a’skew on Tredle! ---
**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:** [April 13, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/71 "2022-04-13T01:07:27Z")
Good to have you home. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/72 "2022-04-13T03:06:08Z")
I’m so ordinary looking that people stop me in the street and comment on it. “Hey”, they say, “I love that ordinary thing you have going. There’s just nothing about you worth commenting on.” ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/73 "2022-04-13T03:32:56Z")
I have a weird way of breathing. I take a lot of shallow breaths and then a deep breath which sometimes comes out like a sigh. I wasn’t even aware that I did this until people starting asking if I was ok, was something wrong, was I sad. I’m more mindful of it now but if it happens, I laugh and tell them I’m fine, it’s just how I breathe. People also comment on my name. Well, not comment so much as sing a line from one of two songs that mention my name. Like they are so clever and I’ve never heard _that_ before. ---
**Author:** ![Turki-lurki](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turki-lurki/32/7168_2.png) [@Turki-lurki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turki-lurki)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/74 "2022-04-13T04:15:19Z")
I’m around 6’8" and 300 lbs. Lots of ‘did you play basketball?’ questions. But the fun ones are if I walk up behind someone in a line, etc, and they turn around and find themselves looking me in the solar plexus. Usually they are just quietly startled, but a couple of women let out a fair shreik. Meh. Short people. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/75 "2022-04-13T04:27:27Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > People also comment on my name. Well, not comment so much as sing a line from one of two songs that mention my name. Like they are so clever and I’ve never heard _that_ before. I’ve been getting that too, since I was a little kid. I used to really hate it when friends of my parents thought that it was so fun and clever to sing the songs with my name and make me cringe. And my birthday falls on a big calendar holiday. People who look at my ID with my birthdate often say “Oh you’re born on XYZ holiday!!” Sometime I think I’ll reply with “Oh, really, I didn’t know that!” and see how they respond. They probably won’t get the sarcasm, though, so it’s not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/76 "2022-04-13T04:29:37Z")
Mr Smoketoomuch is that you? ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/77 "2022-04-13T04:33:29Z")
Lol no 🤣 It’s much more like “Michelle ma belle these are words that go together well.” It could have been worse. A boy cousin named George used to get “Hey there Georgy girl” all the time when that song was popular. ---
**Author:** ![SeaSun](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seasun/32/14820_2.png) [@SeaSun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaSun)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/78 "2022-04-13T09:49:36Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > You nailed it! Long, straight skinny skis. 203’s and 207’s. Nice! Especially the wood skis…gorgeous! I think it’s awesome you are still skiing on both pairs, I would be too if I had those. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/79 "2022-04-13T13:04:51Z")
[quote=“Dinsdale, post:40, topic:962681, full:true”]Unless I’m carrying my upright bass. Then everyone thinks they have a clever comment I’ve never heard before! 🙄 [/quote] Same for me and the Celtic harp. "Is it a dead body?” Hysterical. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681/80 "2022-04-13T13:28:23Z")
This is a mundane one, but it sticks out to me as almost nobody ever comments on my fashion sense. One day I was at Target and a woman came up to me and said “Damn! Those are some nice kicks!” It took me a second to process, but she was commenting on my Converse throwback style lowtop blue-and-yellow sneakers [these guys here.](https://www.ebay.com/itm/284617111728). Nothing fancy. Nothing too expensive. Not a pair of Jordans. I like them because they look cool: clean contrasting colors, simple chevron logo, not ostentatious like most basketball sneakers are these days. I just smiled and said “thanks!” and was on my way. (And, no, she definitely was not flirting with me.) I also had a pair of Ilie Nastase Adidas sneakers that were similarly simple that I also got complimented on one or two times out of the blue. I generally try to exist as a “gray man”, but for some reason, those two shoes stood out to people. (Side gripe: Why the hell can’t I get simple looking shoes like that anymore? Give me a nice color or two, simple graphics like the Adidas stripes or Converse chevron-and-star, and I’m good to go. I don’t like the Nike swoosh, so they’re all out.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-total-stranger-comment-on-ask-you-about/962681.md?page=5)