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the "strange" compliment you remember best

(89 Posts)
giulia Sun 17-Dec-17 11:00:36

Around 1955 (I was about 9 or 10) the boys in my road reluctantly accepted me into their males only Street gang. When I was the last to jump back off the railway line as the steamtrain approached, the gang leader said "Gosh, Ju! You're ALMOST as good as a boy!" I've since had my share of positive comments about my looks or character but, strange as it it seems, that was the one I best remember. What unusual compliments do YOU recall?

kittylester Sun 17-Dec-17 11:08:38

The one I remember was from an elderly great aunt who told me that I looked just my mum at the same age 'though not as pretty obviously!!'

merlotgran Sun 17-Dec-17 12:03:36

One of my brothers picked me up on a comment I'd made and accused me of telling a fib. My aunt ticked him off and said, 'Your sister is as honest as the day's long.'

To which he replied, 'It'll be dark in half an hour.' hmm

GranEd Sun 17-Dec-17 12:16:41

An acquaintance mentioned that she'd just seen my daughter. 'You're so alike' she gushed, 'Very plain but such.a lovely smile!' hmm

Christinefrance Sun 17-Dec-17 12:18:56

When asking my daughter her opinion of my new outfit she replied " it's alright for you mother but I wouldn't wear it !! "

Teetime Sun 17-Dec-17 12:21:35

I was frequently told at work ' you think like a man', I'm not sure that's a compliment.

Jane10 Sun 17-Dec-17 12:45:16

My Grandmother once looked at me all dressed up and said, 'Well at least you've got one good leg.' I never knew which one!

suzied Sun 17-Dec-17 12:47:55

At work a rather snooty colleague said to me - “ they’re nice earrings. I can’t wear cheap jewellery myself”

NannyJan53 Sun 17-Dec-17 12:59:59

Christinefrance My daughter said the exact same thing to me once....she was a teenager at the time though. smile

giulia Sun 17-Dec-17 13:24:35

Have just remembered another compliment: my sister-in-law, on being shown my (rather smart, I think) engagement ring, said "Very nice - for every day."

lovingit Sun 17-Dec-17 13:28:27

walking through the school hall at the end of the day and being asked by the cleaner if I was pregnant!!
I WAS 56!!

Auntieflo Sun 17-Dec-17 13:29:59

The other day, I bought a gas lighter thing for the candles. On the packaging it clearly stated, "No ID, no sale". Well, I wasn't asked for ID, so must be age appropriate. tchblush

tiredoldwoman Sun 17-Dec-17 14:31:10

Someone I hadn't seen for years once said to me " You know , when you havn't seen someone for years , you think 'Good God', they look like shit ? Well , you don't "

Thirdinline Sun 17-Dec-17 14:42:08

Not backhanded at all compared to some of these, I’ll always treasure:
“You’re a very nice person in a very nice package” blush

Blinko Sun 17-Dec-17 14:47:11

I was helping a friend who had laid on a buffet for her mother's wake. My hands were in the washing up bowl when this cousin of said friend remarked, 'I'd help too but I'm all dressed up...'

Hipsy Sun 17-Dec-17 14:49:53

As teenagers, my best friends brother said "I'm so drunk Hipsy,I could almost fancy you"

grannyqueenie Sun 17-Dec-17 14:55:51

An elderly lady looked admiringly at my very cute twin girls, about 9 months old at the time, saying “ your babies are so pretty,” ...pause while she studied my face closely....”they’re not a bit like you are they!”
Just what a harassed and sleep deprived mum needed to hear!

M0nica Sun 17-Dec-17 16:24:01

I once said to my mother, all dressed up for some smart day event.
'You look awful, just like something out of Vogue'

Greyduster Sun 17-Dec-17 18:51:49

I was kicking a ball around with my grandson when another boy of similar age, came and asked if he could join in. I think he thought at that point, I would butt out. No chance! After, he said to me “I’ve never seen an old lady play football before - you’re good!” GS gave me a high five!

hellymart Mon 18-Dec-17 08:33:58

When I was about 30, I was walking down a corridor at work, when one of my male colleagues that I didn't know that well, stopped me and said, quite seriously, "You look really lovely today..." I blushed and started to thank him but before I could say very much he added, "because you don't always, you know. Oh no. Sometimes you look very pasty..." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! PASTY!!!!

Newquay Mon 18-Dec-17 09:07:09

I worked with a woman who was always coming out with-do you remember that sports presenter "Coleman balls?" Well her sayings were known as "(name) balls. . .
One day, while a few of us were making (a very quick drink-private practice, no time wasting!) she commented on my hair cut-she hadn't wanted "straggly bits" like I'd had! Colleagues-and me-just snorted. She never got it! Another time I admired a skirt she had-she had lovely taste-it's M&S Newquay, you couldn't afford it! See her in playground now collecting GC, she hasn't changed a bit. . .

cangran Mon 18-Dec-17 09:39:31

Last year my brother-in-law who hadn't seen me since I had a shorter haircut (and my hair was definitely more white than blonde), commented that I looked more and more like my mother every year. When I replied that I couldn't really see it, he looked surprised and said: 'But she wasn't a bad looking woman'!

janmarie Mon 18-Dec-17 09:44:34

A couple of weeks ago I was behind a stall at our church bazaar. An elderly lady came up to me and said "Hello dear. You're a lot slimmer than you used to be aren't you?" I am the same weight I have always been for years. ?

Humbertbear Mon 18-Dec-17 09:47:12

My mother has a way of telling me I look nice that implies that she is very surprised at my appearance.

Maggiemaybe Mon 18-Dec-17 09:50:56

On a romantic dinner in Paris, from DH: "This candlelight.....doesn't half make your spots stand out".

"You've got a fine pair of footballer's legs" and "You'll pass in a crowd", both from my parents. grin