I'm in your camp. My first visit to Disneyland was the first week it opened in 1956. The wicked witch in the Snow White ride scared the bejesus out of me. I like to keep the happiest place on earth as a distant memory.
Hi Gabrielle. Long time no see, but want to check in and say that you write with such ease and fun. Lovely Disneyland story I can relate to, haha Much love Benedicte Come visit us sometime :)
For some reason - and I can get nowhere near understanding it - people (friends?) do occasionally pull the same sort of trick. "We're going to see such-and-such-a-thing-that-is-not-my-cup-of-tea, and we've got you a ticket."
In my younger days, I'd go along with it and grimace. These days, I just respond with, "No, thanks - I'd rather eat my own liver."
I do NOT say "Thanks for rhinking of me" because they clearly didn't. I definitely don't lie - I'm busy! - because it makes you a hostage to fortune.
Real friends don't do things like that. And definitely don't make comments about hosting abilities. Did he ever get the strawberry/melon/ orange stains off his shirt?
I love this, Bren! I used to have a friend who, when I told her the honest truth about why I would not be able to meet her on the day and time she specified, would conduct an intensive inquiry into exactly what my conflicting event was, where it would take place, how long it would last, and why I was neglecting to take advantage of her helpful advice on how I could attend both. After a while I wised up and began to tell lies of larger and further events she could not question. Then I wised up further and stopped hanging out with her. It's good to be older.
There is a certain sort of English person, Stephanie - not all of them by any means, but some - who will say the most outrageous thing to your face and when you react will look surprised and say, "But don't you know I'm joking?" I found this difficult to know how to handle when I lived in England and now I live somewhere where people don't do it at all, I find it simply baffling. That's all I can say.
Thanks for the support, Bob! I'm interested to know - as someone who has also lived for many years in California - whether this "surely you know I'm only joking" thing is something you've noticed about certain English humorous types? Americans don't do it at all and I can't say I miss it.
It is perhaps unwise to use it when the meaning can be seriously misunderstood or when it's directed at someone who doesn't know you well. However, there are situations when the speaker really did mean it, later realised it was a bad thing to say, then backtracks by saying "joke".
Of course every situation is different, Bob, and of course we've all been on both ends of a joke that misfired. But it's something of a bugbear of mine when someone deliberately fires from the bushes and retreats when challenged into the "only joking" hidey-hole. I feel strongly that if you're going to make a joke it's your duty to make it a kind one, but I've known people (not this guy, who was just being obtuse) who have done this "am I joking or aren't I?" maliciously, and, for me, it really crosses a line.
I'm in your camp. My first visit to Disneyland was the first week it opened in 1956. The wicked witch in the Snow White ride scared the bejesus out of me. I like to keep the happiest place on earth as a distant memory.
Hi Gabrielle. Long time no see, but want to check in and say that you write with such ease and fun. Lovely Disneyland story I can relate to, haha Much love Benedicte Come visit us sometime :)
Well, thank you, Benedicte, I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Yes, yes, let's get together soon and swap stories of misbehaving visitors ...
You have my sympathy!
For some reason - and I can get nowhere near understanding it - people (friends?) do occasionally pull the same sort of trick. "We're going to see such-and-such-a-thing-that-is-not-my-cup-of-tea, and we've got you a ticket."
In my younger days, I'd go along with it and grimace. These days, I just respond with, "No, thanks - I'd rather eat my own liver."
I do NOT say "Thanks for rhinking of me" because they clearly didn't. I definitely don't lie - I'm busy! - because it makes you a hostage to fortune.
Real friends don't do things like that. And definitely don't make comments about hosting abilities. Did he ever get the strawberry/melon/ orange stains off his shirt?
I love this, Bren! I used to have a friend who, when I told her the honest truth about why I would not be able to meet her on the day and time she specified, would conduct an intensive inquiry into exactly what my conflicting event was, where it would take place, how long it would last, and why I was neglecting to take advantage of her helpful advice on how I could attend both. After a while I wised up and began to tell lies of larger and further events she could not question. Then I wised up further and stopped hanging out with her. It's good to be older.
Nope, I couldn’t have taken this boorish behavior. What a dick! I don’t know how you graciously put up with it.
He’s a dick unlike your new neighbors
There is a certain sort of English person, Stephanie - not all of them by any means, but some - who will say the most outrageous thing to your face and when you react will look surprised and say, "But don't you know I'm joking?" I found this difficult to know how to handle when I lived in England and now I live somewhere where people don't do it at all, I find it simply baffling. That's all I can say.
I think he was rude.
As an English person, all I can say is good grief. I have no opinion of the wife, but the husband ?
Thanks for the support, Bob! I'm interested to know - as someone who has also lived for many years in California - whether this "surely you know I'm only joking" thing is something you've noticed about certain English humorous types? Americans don't do it at all and I can't say I miss it.
It is perhaps unwise to use it when the meaning can be seriously misunderstood or when it's directed at someone who doesn't know you well. However, there are situations when the speaker really did mean it, later realised it was a bad thing to say, then backtracks by saying "joke".
Of course every situation is different, Bob, and of course we've all been on both ends of a joke that misfired. But it's something of a bugbear of mine when someone deliberately fires from the bushes and retreats when challenged into the "only joking" hidey-hole. I feel strongly that if you're going to make a joke it's your duty to make it a kind one, but I've known people (not this guy, who was just being obtuse) who have done this "am I joking or aren't I?" maliciously, and, for me, it really crosses a line.