I used to work at a Builders Merchant in the sales office.
For the first few years I'd answer the phone & some builders would say things like 'I aint bein' funny love but can you put me on to one of the blokes to give me prices cos they'll know what I mean'...
Must admit, I've probably been guilty of that on occasion, although I don't mean to do it.
Thing is, you phone up some huge company, expecting to get through to their main switchboard, and say "Hi, I'd like to talk to somebody who can help me with some technical information about widgets" and the response will be a short, stony, silence followed by "Yes, that'd be me".
Oh, sorry.
Excuse me for thinking that I'd got through to a switchboard and I'd have to be put through to the correct department.
Bite my head off, why doncha?
Not so much patronising to me, but it was said about me. I just found it funny!
Many years ago, my girlfriend (who happens to now be my wife) took me along to a family wedding. I'd met her immediate family, but it was the first time I was being introduced to her more distant family.
She introduced me as her boyfriend to her great aunt, a real old battleaxe of a woman.
As I shook her hand she said "Oh.....so you're the latest one are you?"
It would have made sense if my wife had had a string of boyfriends before me who she was always bringing home and introducing to the family. But she'd only had one boyfriend before me!
My wife's great aunt has actually mellowed a bit in recent years and I get on quite well with her. I stand up to her and take the piss when she belittles anyone. I think she respects me for that!
For some reason that one got to me. I have three degrees but am absolutely useless with anything practical. The world as we know it wouldn't operate without our plumbers, electricians, service workers and so on so all these smug, 'learned' types want to hush their mouths when they think of a world without their creature comforts. My dad was a wood machinist and my mum a secretary, then ward housekeeper at a local hospital. I was proud of what they did. Hope this doesn't come across as patronising!!!
I often get the pats on the head and patronising comments about being small because I'm only 4ft 7/8 but most of it goes right over my head, tbh. I'm 44 and every time someone says it, they think they're being highly original.
The most patronising thing I've heard in recent times was when a bloke did some tiling in my flat. It looked like crazy paving. When he'd 'finished', I said 'Um, is that it?' His words "Oh don't worry, love. It'll settle down!". I just burst out laughing.
I get patronised all the time but I haven't the heart to have a go at people but the worse one that springs to mind is when I helped out a friend and then she offered to buy me lunch. I said no but she said she really wanted to go out, so we went to pizza hut. Just as she paid, she said "you're like a pauper compared to me aren't you?" I don't speak to her anymore.
I did a sharp intake of breath when I read the end of this. I wouldn't have spoken to her again either.
I once worked with this lovely Asian woman and the team were going to go for a picnic (team bonding purposes ). Anyway, my colleague emailed the team to say she had bought some salad & a bottle of mayonnaise. In response, another colleague (an absolute motherlode bitch) emailed her- and only her -to say, "It's a jar of mayonnaise." And I can imagine the snide, bitchy tone of voice she'd have used if she'd said it out loud. >:(
My hubby is self employed so we get loads of business calls. I frequently get men saying "can I have a word with the boss please" and I say "speaking."
Before my second marriage my cousin announced to a room full of my family and friends that he will not be attending the wedding. He will go to the next one..
Must admit, I've probably been guilty of that on occasion, although I don't mean to do it.
Thing is, you phone up some huge company, expecting to get through to their main switchboard, and say "Hi, I'd like to talk to somebody who can help me with some technical information about widgets" and the response will be a short, stony, silence followed by "Yes, that'd be me".
Oh, sorry.
Excuse me for thinking that I'd got through to a switchboard and I'd have to be put through to the correct department.
Bite my head off, why doncha?
Well it's that or go through your long complex problem only to get the reply "OK then I'll put you through to the technical dept." - Then once through you tell your long story for the second time only to be told "Oh I'll put you through to my supervisor" AGGGGRRRR.
I think my worst was a year ago, as I started my degree as a mature student. Initially I planned to apply for dentistry and I even got the grades required but in the end decided it wasn't for me for many reasons, including it being such a long course and a huge commitment.
Well, I bumped into someone who I used to work with and she asked me if I was at University yet, as I left that job to go back to college. I said yes, I was just starting but I didn't end up following my dentistry plan, I chose another health related course instead.
She just looked at me and said 'oh well I always thought it was unlikely you would get the grades for that anyway'.
"We British/English people in this country don't say/do that." - whenever I say or do something a person doesn't approve. Even those knew I was born and raised in this country.
The most irritating:
After I announced I won a job with a prestigious law firm, two white friends said these within ten minutes:
"You shouldn't be so naive, Takae. It's sooo obvious they hired you for a political correct reason."
"Do they have a racial quota?"
"You're very pretty, they probably think you're useful as a model for their web site and brochures."
"I'd turn it down if I were you because I wouldn't want to work there knowing I'm a token."
Not my finest hour:
"You won't understand" - my oldest's friends (all 14) after I asked which game they were playing.
It annoyed me enough to tell them to shift over and let me have a try. I slaughtered them all within forty minutes, using all old tricks I learnt when I was their age. My son rightfully wasn't impressed as he knew I did it to teach them a lesson for assuming I knew sod-all about FPS gaming. *shameface*
Years ago, we had just come back from the US, where I'd been doing a Masters degree, and all kinds of exciting things and we had several weeks to fill whilst a council house we'd been given as made ready, so we staying for a day or so with my sister in law. (Who is and never was very well off - her husband worked in a factory and she worked part time in a shop - they live in a Barratt house so always think of themselves as a cut above, being 'home-owners', despite never having had en education, or travelled, and I don't say that to patronise her, but just to give the context).
And I said something, trying to be polite, about her dishwasher, and must have sound impressed as she answered: "Ah yes. But you might have a dishwasher too, one day."
1. I made a joke about Activia ads once on here. Just an innocent joke. Some.....person had a pop at me about having a go at Martine McCutcheon's career, then attempted to give me a bit of a pat on the head when I told them that's not what I was doing. Idiot. I don't even remember who they were but it was annoying.
2. I talked about how tipping was practically a must in many American establishments in AMERICA (the key word here being, AMERICA). One user got the wrong end of the stick and made several "oh sure, it IS obligatory to tip! Making things up, eh? There there!" type comments. As it turned out, they thought I was referring to Britain. Facepalm?
"We British/English people in this country don't say/do that." - whenever I say or do something a person doesn't approve. Even those knew I was born and raised in this country.
The most irritating:
After I announced I won a job with a prestigious law firm, two white friends said these within ten minutes:
"You shouldn't be so naive, Takae. It's sooo obvious they hired you for a political correct reason."
"Do they have a racial quota?"
"You're very pretty, they probably think you're useful as a model for their web site and brochures."
"I'd turn it down if I were you because I wouldn't want to work there knowing I'm a token."
Not my finest hour:
"You won't understand" - my oldest's friends (all 14) after I asked which game they were playing.
It annoyed me enough to tell them to shift over and let me have a try. I slaughtered them all within forty minutes, using all old tricks I learnt when I was their age. My son rightfully wasn't impressed as he knew I did it to teach them a lesson for assuming I knew sod-all about FPS gaming. *shameface*
Those first two sound awful, sorry you had to go through that. Glad you proved your son's friends wrong in the last one though!
Years ago, we had just come back from the US, where I'd been doing a Masters degree, and all kinds of exciting things and we had several weeks to fill whilst a council house we'd been given as made ready, so we staying for a day or so with my sister in law. (Who is and never was very well off - her husband worked in a factory and she worked part time in a shop - they live in a Barratt house so always think of themselves as a cut above, being 'home-owners', despite never having had en education, or travelled, and I don't say that to patronise her, but just to give the context).
And I said something, trying to be polite, about her dishwasher, and must have sound impressed as she answered: "Ah yes. But you might have a dishwasher too, one day."
Bitch. And I still don't.
Bet she doesn't have a utility room to put it in though.
Patronising comments fall into two categories, meant (i.e bitchy) or unthinking (using stereotypes and their own limited life experiences). On balance, I think I prefer the former. On at least 2 occasions a week I am patronised at work, I sometimes think I have the word stupid written on my forehead.
I've been single for a while now and quite a good friend turned round to me and said "You know your problem? The people you end up liking are too good looking. You need to lower your standards"
I've been single for a while now and quite a good friend turned round to me and said "You know your problem? The people you end up liking are too good looking. You need to lower your standards"
Gee, thanks!
Nah, always raise your standards, never lower them!
Once upon a time we were trying to find leaks in water-mains and, to do so, we had to excavate the water-main pipes to install sensors on them and, because the pipes were thought to be leaky and fragile, we had to hand-dig 8ft down around each pipe.
So, we were stood in the bottom of this muddy pit, digging around this crusty old water pipe, outside a school in Blackpool in the pouring rain, when a bunch of school-kids started peering over the edge at us.
Next thing, an adult appears, looks over the edge of the hole at us, and says "Y'see, kids. That's how you'll end up if you don't do your best at school".
Comments
Must admit, I've probably been guilty of that on occasion, although I don't mean to do it.
Thing is, you phone up some huge company, expecting to get through to their main switchboard, and say "Hi, I'd like to talk to somebody who can help me with some technical information about widgets" and the response will be a short, stony, silence followed by "Yes, that'd be me".
Oh, sorry.
Excuse me for thinking that I'd got through to a switchboard and I'd have to be put through to the correct department.
Bite my head off, why doncha?
Thanks for that.
Infact I remember a guy trying to sell me a 500Gb hard drive for more than the 1Tb one was as he didn't think I would know the difference.
Many years ago, my girlfriend (who happens to now be my wife) took me along to a family wedding. I'd met her immediate family, but it was the first time I was being introduced to her more distant family.
She introduced me as her boyfriend to her great aunt, a real old battleaxe of a woman.
As I shook her hand she said "Oh.....so you're the latest one are you?"
It would have made sense if my wife had had a string of boyfriends before me who she was always bringing home and introducing to the family. But she'd only had one boyfriend before me!
My wife's great aunt has actually mellowed a bit in recent years and I get on quite well with her. I stand up to her and take the piss when she belittles anyone. I think she respects me for that!
I see what you did there
I did a sharp intake of breath when I read the end of this. I wouldn't have spoken to her again either.
I once worked with this lovely Asian woman and the team were going to go for a picnic (team bonding purposes
Not if you don't invite him he won't!
Well it's that or go through your long complex problem only to get the reply "OK then I'll put you through to the technical dept." - Then once through you tell your long story for the second time only to be told "Oh I'll put you through to my supervisor" AGGGGRRRR.
Oh I've put many a Curry's sprong in their place whilst they have been trying to sell me a £35 HDMI cable.
I think my worst was a year ago, as I started my degree as a mature student. Initially I planned to apply for dentistry and I even got the grades required but in the end decided it wasn't for me for many reasons, including it being such a long course and a huge commitment.
Well, I bumped into someone who I used to work with and she asked me if I was at University yet, as I left that job to go back to college. I said yes, I was just starting but I didn't end up following my dentistry plan, I chose another health related course instead.
She just looked at me and said 'oh well I always thought it was unlikely you would get the grades for that anyway'.
Bitch.
One tried to palm me off with a crap laptop, again thinking I wouldn't know the difference!
"We British/English people in this country don't say/do that." - whenever I say or do something a person doesn't approve. Even those knew I was born and raised in this country.
The most irritating:
After I announced I won a job with a prestigious law firm, two white friends said these within ten minutes:
"You shouldn't be so naive, Takae. It's sooo obvious they hired you for a political correct reason."
"Do they have a racial quota?"
"You're very pretty, they probably think you're useful as a model for their web site and brochures."
"I'd turn it down if I were you because I wouldn't want to work there knowing I'm a token."
Not my finest hour:
"You won't understand" - my oldest's friends (all 14) after I asked which game they were playing.
It annoyed me enough to tell them to shift over and let me have a try. I slaughtered them all within forty minutes, using all old tricks I learnt when I was their age. My son rightfully wasn't impressed as he knew I did it to teach them a lesson for assuming I knew sod-all about FPS gaming. *shameface*
And I said something, trying to be polite, about her dishwasher, and must have sound impressed as she answered: "Ah yes. But you might have a dishwasher too, one day."
Bitch. And I still don't.
1. I made a joke about Activia ads once on here. Just an innocent joke. Some.....person had a pop at me about having a go at Martine McCutcheon's career, then attempted to give me a bit of a pat on the head when I told them that's not what I was doing. Idiot. I don't even remember who they were but it was annoying.
2. I talked about how tipping was practically a must in many American establishments in AMERICA (the key word here being, AMERICA). One user got the wrong end of the stick and made several "oh sure, it IS obligatory to tip! Making things up, eh? There there!" type comments. As it turned out, they thought I was referring to Britain. Facepalm?
LOL
I said to one of my colleagues, who was a snooty cow at the best of times, "I'll need to get a couple of bottles of wine to bring along".
She replied "Oh I shouldn't worry about it. I very much doubt they drink wine from the same shelf that you get yours...". >:(
Those first two sound awful, sorry you had to go through that. Glad you proved your son's friends wrong in the last one though!
Bet she doesn't have a utility room to put it in though.
Patronising comments fall into two categories, meant (i.e bitchy) or unthinking (using stereotypes and their own limited life experiences). On balance, I think I prefer the former. On at least 2 occasions a week I am patronised at work, I sometimes think I have the word stupid written on my forehead.
Like Sheldon and his inability to detect sarcasm, I have a blind spot with patronising behaviour.
Gee, thanks!
You still are ;-)
I'm loving your blind (and you would have to be) faith in me.