The Dumbest Comment I Ever Heard

[hargist]

Are you religious?

A woman walks up to us and asks me, "excuse me, are you religious?"

I had a similar thing happen to me just last week. I was getting gas in my neighborhood which is the Fairfax district. The Fairfax district has a large Hasidic Jewish population. I heard someone say to me, "Happy Hanukkah" complete with phlegm sound and heavy Eastern European accent. I looked up and this elderly gentleman was waving at me while making his way to his car.

I said, "Thank you. But I'm not Jewish." He said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were a Rabbi."

Pointing to my head I said, "Must be the hat. I do live in the neighborhood, though." He shrugged and said, "When in Rome, you do as they do."

I've always thought that by wearing my darker colored hats around the neighborhood that I might be mistaken for the Hasidic Jews that live around me. This was the first confirmation of that.

Fact is, they always look sharp.

 

[Mr. Sable]

Fact is, they always look sharp.

Indeed, they do!

 

[hargist]

If it's good enough for Grandpa, it's good enough for me.

ever get this one....
you look like my father/Grandfather.

In November I visited my family in Indiana. I recently started wearing fedoras regularly and many of my relatives, including my mom, said that I look like my long deceased grandpa. I said, "Oh, he had style did he?" I take it as a compliment.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm a head shaver and I get "what happened to your hair" a lot. That is a really, really dumb thing to say to somebody. I can't even think of a dumb responce to that

Let's see answers:
It got lost with your mind
I am saving it for a rainy day
I am saving it for when I need it
It got bad so I had to shave it off (ala Army of Darkness )
Hair is for people with odd shaped heads and scars.
I was born this way.

I think some of those may help.

Regards,

J

 

[Mindraker]

That's right....there are at least 5 distinct native accents in NC. It really all depends on what region you're from. I'm a Raleigh native and speak a more middle of the road or "Piedmont" accent. I love to guess where folks are from here just by hearing them speak.

By the way, if you find a good hat here in NC let me know. I hant found a good'un yet

I'm in Asheville, Buncombe County. I'm afraid that Asheville really didn't have much for hat-shopping -- I might just have to wait until I go back to Charleston, SC next year and buy a summer hat then.

 

[Lawman]

Mickey Spillane from a humorless, 45 year old retiree in my neighborhood.

Mark

 

[PeeWee]

Let's see answers:
It got lost with your mind
I am saving it for a rainy day
I am saving it for when I need it
It got bad so I had to shave it off (ala Army of Darkness )
Hair is for people with odd shaped heads and scars.
I was born this way.

I think some of those may help.

Regards,

J

Those are great....you can bet I'll use one next time. Thanks

 

[jamespowers]

Mickey Spillane from a humorless, 45 year old retiree in my neighborhood.

Mark

Geez. :eusa_doh: Tell him to go to work so he can earn a sense of humor.

Regards,

J

 

[PeeWee]

I'm in Asheville, Buncombe County. I'm afraid that Asheville really didn't have much for hat-shopping -- I might just have to wait until I go back to Charleston, SC next year and buy a summer hat then.

That's too bad. At one time there was a good place to buy a nice hat in Asheville... I have a very nice old Resistol that came from a M.V. Moore & Co. in Asheville. It's my only vintage hat, and it somehow ended up in a Raleigh thrift store. I paid 5 bucks for it recently Anyway, maybe you can find an old timer that can tell you about the hat shop or men's clothiers.

 

[reetpleat]

Mickey Spillane from a humorless, 45 year old retiree in my neighborhood.

Mark

You mean he called you or told you you looked like Mickey Spilane? I wouldn't take offense at that. that is a unique and accurate, as well as cool association. Better than gangster anyway

 

[Mojave Jack]

James, I needed you about two days ago!

So I'm in the grocery store, wearing my usual: Aubra Flinders and bush jacket. Other than that I had on a muted plaid flannel shirt, cargo pants, and chukka boots. I'm feeling pretty good as I leave because the lady behind me in line said, "I think you look really sharp in your hat."

So I step out of the store and another lady says, "I like your outfit!" "Thanks!" I replied (thinking "outfit"?!). Then she says, "What are you?"

"What am I?" accompanied by a blank stare. What the heck does that mean? "Are you the 'Crocodile Hunter'? Or an elephant hunter?"

I didn't know what to say. Was that an insult? Was she just trying to be conversational? I just sort of stammered a reply like "I'm just a guy," and wandered off with my bell peppers and onions.

 

[Feraud]

"What am I?" accompanied by a blank stare. What the heck does that mean? "Are you the 'Crocodile Hunter'? Or an elephant hunter?"

I didn't know what to say. Was that an insult? Was she just trying to be conversational? I just sort of stammered a reply like "I'm just a guy," and wandered off with my bell peppers and onions.

haha, that is a great reply! It is so simple yet incredibly effective in defusing any sarcasm the woman might have intended. If you get a block away and realize she was insulting you, there is always the onion to chuck at her. lol

The problem with comments from people is to correctly discern whether they are compliments or criticism! "Nice hat", followed by a smile or smirk can mean two different things.

 

[BigSleep]

I too got one this weekend that I didnt quite no what to do with.

I went down to get some bagels and coffee. I was wearing a light grey Whippet and sunglasses. A guy sitting at a table says something about the Bluse Brothers. I laughed with him and went on because it seemed by his demeaner that he was just being friendly. I just didnt get it.

Its a light grey hat with at least a 2.5 inch brim and my sunglasses are brown. Dude, have you even seen the Blues Brothers?

 

[Mojave Jack]

That's probably the only response they would have understood anyway! lol I should have mentioned that the lady in question, as well as her two companions, were stylishly dressed in ragged jeans, Harley Davidson t-shirts, and sweatshirts. The onion, by the way, was delicious! I marinated some chicken in a soy/ginger sauce, and grilled the chicken, peppers, onions, and cherry tomatoes on skewers. And I wore my hat the whole time!

 

[Pilgrim]

I just love it when my clothing is referred to as a COSTUME!!!!

I understand that in Canada, unifoms are termed "costumes". [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

James, I needed you about two days ago!

So I'm in the grocery store, wearing my usual: Aubra Flinders and bush jacket. Other than that I had on a muted plaid flannel shirt, cargo pants, and chukka boots. I'm feeling pretty good as I leave because the lady behind me in line said, "I think you look really sharp in your hat."

So I step out of the store and another lady says, "I like your outfit!" "Thanks!" I replied (thinking "outfit"?!). Then she says, "What are you?"

"What am I?" accompanied by a blank stare. What the heck does that mean? "Are you the 'Crocodile Hunter'? Or an elephant hunter?"

I didn't know what to say. Was that an insult? Was she just trying to be conversational? I just sort of stammered a reply like "I'm just a guy," and wandered off with my bell peppers and onions.

I would have said: "No. I am an idiot hunter. I'll be sporting and give you a five minute head start."

Regards,

J

 

[reetpleat]

I am sorry, but I gotta disagree with all the offense. If someone says they like your outfit, and then ask what you are, it does not sound like they mean offense. They are just recognizing that you look different than the norm. Isn't that what we are about?

YOu had an opportunity to say thank you and let her know you enjoy wearing classic pieces for a distinct look and left her with the warm feeling we get when we meet someone unique in a good way witha bit of style.

Instead, you chose to take offense where none was meant. Sounds like your problem, not hers.

At any rate, I am sure she is not on a chat board for jeans wearers complaining about the hat wearing guy she met.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

"When you tell somebody somethin',
it depends on what part of
the United States you're standin' in...
as to just how dumb you are."

The same can be said for those who wear hats and those that do not. Most comments that those of us that wear hats find objectionable are just a lack of knowledge. Many respond to being on the uninformed side of anything, by choosing to attack what they do not understand.

 

[John in Covina]

So I step out of the store and another lady says, "I like your outfit!" "Thanks!" I replied (thinking "outfit"?!). Then she says, "What are you?"

"What am I?" accompanied by a blank stare. What the heck does that mean? "Are you the 'Crocodile Hunter'? Or an elephant hunter?"

I didn't know what to say. Was that an insult? Was she just trying to be conversational? I just sort of stammered a reply like "I'm just a guy," and wandered off with my bell peppers and onions.

****************
You happen to be a Well Styled Outdoorsman, I'd say just tell her you are an outdoorsman.

 

[Mojave Jack]

I am sorry, but I gotta disagree with all the offense. If someone says they like your outfit, and then ask what you are, it does not sound like they mean offense. They are just recognizing that you look different than the norm. Isn't that what we are about?

YOu had an opportunity to say thank you and let her know you enjoy wearing classic pieces for a distinct look and left her with the warm feeling we get when we meet someone unique in a good way witha bit of style.

Instead, you chose to take offense where none was meant. Sounds like your problem, not hers.

At any rate, I am sure she is not on a chat board for jeans wearers complaining about the hat wearing guy she met.

If you'll re-read my post above, you'll note that I did say "thank you." My response to her subsequent inquiry was not rude, nor was I insulted; I was confused. If she had said, "You look like a big game hunter," I probably would have thanked her again. But "what are you?" is not a question I would consider to be particularly polite. Would you ask an Amish man "What are you?" because he has on a hat? Would you even ask someone wearing a cowboy hat "what are you?" The only thing lacking from her question was "supposed to be?" which I would have definately taken as insulting.

And had I made a disparaging comment about jeans and/or Harley Davidson t-shirt wearers, she no doubt would have been on a jeans and/or Harley Davidson t-shirt wearer forum complaining about the hat wearing guy that insulted her. Or at least complaining to her fellow jeans and/or Harley Davidson t-shirt wearing friends about it. The point is, I don't ask them, "what are you?"

And its not a problem, either mine or hers; it's simply a story I found amusing that I was sharing with others that have had similar experiences. In the course of human interaction we are all constantly interpreting and negotiating social events. When someone makes a comment you don't understand, it's fairly common to talk it over with people with whom you have a common base of knowledge and experience.