Dear Miss Manners: I was sitting in front of two men in a hockey match, and all the other words they said was the word F.
I wanted to say something, but I wondered what would be the best way to approach them.
I thought of saying something like: “Hey, you look like smart guys, but your vocabulary makes you seem less than intelligent.”
Do you have a suggestion or ignore them the route to take? This is what I did.
Mild player: Thus avoiding the probable response, which would be F-OFF.
As offensive as it is, Miss Manners cannot help seeing that this would come from a legitimate objection. First of all, they had a private conversation, even if you couldn’t help but surpass it. And secondly, that he is rude, not to mention the ineffective, to go around the strangers.
Dear Miss Manners: There is a relatively nice person who works near me in our busy financial office.
They are talented and intelligent, but they have a boring habit of inserting a constant flow of advice and health warnings that are not used in each conversation.
They will warn me plastic in tea sachets as they watch me make a cup of tea, or the danger of using medical quality masks to avoid viruses. If I put cream in my coffee, they move: “milk – instant inflammation!”
They emit warnings of the dangers of tap water while I pour a drink, warnings about the free -off pain relievers while I take a headache, and warnings on vaccines when I mention the obtaining of a cocvid booster (gee, never heard of tetano or polio?).
After a dental meeting, I could hear about dangerous chemicals used in modern dentistry. I was told about nanoparticles in each article never manufactured and the risks of each medication never taken.
The council is not without merit, but it is constant, switch, unsolicited and negative. It has also become really boring, and I plan to avoid this person.
They made an educational trip to become a healer after retirement, and I can see how they could have some success because of their desire to help people. But not in the office, thank you. I want them to save the warnings of their future paying customers.
What can I say in a short, humorous or simple way to stop this flow of warnings on each movement I make?
Mild player: Very good, here is your actor mission:
At each warning, throw your arms in a position “I go”, widen your eyes and say “UH-OH!“After hearing the pose for a moment, you can enter a smile.
Three of these performances should do so.
If your colleague is nice – even “relatively pleasant” – Miss Manners predicts that you will get a smile back and less warnings.
Please send your questions to Miss Manners on her website, www.missmanners.com; To his e-mail, gentlerader@missmanners.com; or by post to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
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