What would a total stranger comment on/ask you about?

I wear a lot of funny dachshund t-shirts, and I get comments on those all the time.

I also get compliments on my eyes (blue). Personally, I always wanted brown eyes.

I switch my hair colour for variety and depending what dyes are on sale. Sometimes I also cut it pretty short. People who have seen me before tend to comment on the changes, and I guess it’s a safe conversation starter for customers at work, because they mention my hair a lot. I used to think bleached blonde was my best look judging from the number of comments, until one day I dyed my hair blue and the crowd went WILD. For weeks, every single customer had something to say (only one negative), but being a local celebrity got very old very fast, so I used a natural-colour dye next. Then I just had to endure a few weeks of comments about my newly brown hair.

I learned that a lot of adult women wish they could dye their hair a wild colour, but they don’t want to look silly or think it’s expensive or difficult. I was happy to inspire them.

An actually memorable occasion was when a person I’d just met commented on my pleasant low voice and said it’s an alto. I still think about it sometimes, because while I’m generally self-conscious about my voice and speech, it helps to remember there was at least one person who liked it.

I have very long, thick hair, usually worn braided in a single fat braid. I don’t mind the comments on it, but DO NOT TUG ON IT OR PLAY WITH IT! :face_with_symbols_over_mouth: I’m boggled by how many people think that’s acceptable.

Are you a professional grumpy cat impersonator?

“Why are your hands shaking? Are you nervous?”

No. It’s just a hereditary thing. Just something I was born with.

I used to get people asking me if I was Polish all the time. I’m German, Estonian, Swedish and Finnish with a smattering of what Ancestry calls Eastern Europe and Russian.

I think it’s having a round fat face, blondeish hair and grey eyes.

For the first part of the pandemic I wore a mask my best friend made: red fabric with Pokemon characters on it. People loved it. I got compliments left and right.

With a tall lean athletic build, I was often asked if I was a basketball player. I’m not super tall…just taller than the average female. I was a volleyball player, among other sports, but not basketball. I also have been asked if I am a ballet dancer, but graceful and bendy I am not.

Now a days I’m mostly asked what breed my dog is when out and about with her. :dog2: That’s a topic I’m more interested in talking about than myself :wink:

“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.

My ski equipment. I can not ride a chair with anybody without talking about it. At their inquest.

I get a lot of unsolicited offers to buy my cars, too.

As I get older, I get more invisible.

As if people are walking by thinking “Okay, grey-haired white guy. Nope, don’t have to deal with him at all.”

And I love it.

I wonder if it’s my journalism streak, where I want to be observing society, not affecting it.

I have a large white handlebar mustache. On good days I get several compliments on it.

Who would have guessed?

Curious…what type of ski equipment do you have? I don’t ski anymore, but if I did, I’d probably get asked about my long straight skinny skis and maybe my boots too that I still have stored in my garage (too sentimental to get rid of them).

No one ever wants to touch my hair, it’s unimpressively fine. But I once had a colleague with the most awesome hair imaginable, thick and long and usually braided. One day I asked her, “your hair is amazing - do you mind if I touch it?”

It was a revelation to me how much she appreciated the fact that I asked. I had no idea that strangers assume they can touch people’s hair just because it’s attractive :scream: WTF is wrong with people?

Anyway, I got to bask in her appreciation, plus I got to touch her hair!

ETA: To answer the OP, I have one-of-a-kind clothing, mostly from Indonesian textiles that I had local seamstresses make me outfits from, but also a bunch of Pohnpei skirts that date back to when I lived in Micronesia. I couldn’t wear those skirts on the mainland without looking like a crazy woman, probably, but here in Hawai’i it’s cool. People do comment on my interesting clothes and sometimes I get Micronesians, or people who know the islands, who will say, “OMG you are wearing a Pohnpei skirt!!! Awesome!!!”

The big one is “Are you ex-military?” I’ve had people that were in the service tell me I have the bearing or demeanor of people they served with, but I never have. I’m asked more frequently in KY than I was in Chicago.

I’m one of two adult males in my family that didn’t serve in some branch of the military.

I’m surprised that in 2022 people still make insensitive comments some bordering on discriminatory about a person’s name, ethnicity or appearance.

There is a student in my music class who is clearly of Pacific Island heritage but not Hawaiian - I’m betting his family is originally from Tahiti, Fiji, or Samoa, though his looks and name are the only clues; I think he might actually be from Utah.

I’ve come close to asking him what his ethnic origins are, because I’m just plain curious. But I’ve always refrained because it seems like a boorish thing to ask. Thanks for reminding me that yes indeed, I should continue to refrain because it IS boorish.

If he ever wants to talk about his family heritage, he can bring it up.

Sometimes it’s the height (6’5"). Sometimes it’s the beard which is rather Hagrid-esque. But despite living in the UK for 25 years my Midwest American accent is still there so I get asked if I’m Canadian or American.

Yup. I’m a big guy with a beard. We all look absolutely identical. There’s a thread about police artist sketches, they only need one sketch for all of us.

Nothing at all.

I’m tallish (prev 6’3" but likely shrinking) and not obese. Have all my hair, wear glasses. Dress boringly. Just an anonymous older (61) guy. As others have said, when you get past your 50s (if not before), you just become anonymous/invisible.

Unless I’m carrying my upright bass. Then everyone thinks they have a clever comment I’ve never heard before! :roll_eyes: