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Backhanded compliment? The things men say (lighthearted!)

(120 Posts)
nannafizz Wed 20-Jan-21 08:02:06

A few days ago I came downstairs and DH said ‘you smell nice . I thanked him & thought it must be hand cream or moisturiser as I hadn’t used any perfume. This morning he said over breakfast ‘you smell lovely’ , what is it? I held my hand out and asked if it was my hand cream . No , it wasn’t . Later he came into the bathroom as I was cleaning the bath . ‘That’s it , he said , the lovely smell . Turns out I often smell lovely , just like the bathroom cleaner?

Rosina Wed 20-Jan-21 10:17:31

I asked my DD's opinion of a dress I had wanted for a while and finally bought; she circled me, and announced 'Well - the front looks ok'. My own DM was priceless in that respect; 'Don't fuss, I've seen people even fatter than you wearing trousers'. At that time I was nineteen, and a size ten, weighing eight stone.
(Oh if only....)

Trisha57 Wed 20-Jan-21 10:20:04

Friend was invited with her husband to our house to celebrate my birthday (it was a "special" birthday). She said that they had intended to go out for a meal that evening, but "That's OK, we'll come to yours. We can always go somewhere nice another time"!!!

lemsip Wed 20-Jan-21 10:24:09

nannafizz that gave me a good laugh out loud. I know a man like that!

Thanks

Phloembundle Wed 20-Jan-21 10:26:14

I must have had a grumpy face on and my son asked me what was up. I told him I'm getting older and uglier. He said, "Never, you couldn't get uglier". He knew what he meant.

Suzan05 Wed 20-Jan-21 10:38:04

My mother said, more than once, "your hair looks lovely from the back". Presumably my face spoilt the front view! ?

Cobweb01 Wed 20-Jan-21 10:39:39

My mother had dementia and despite seeing me every day as I was her carer, she said as I brought her a cup of tea, "you look different today, oh I know what is is, you're fat"!

Lots of chuckles reading everyone's comments grin

jennilin Wed 20-Jan-21 10:40:17

My brother once said to me if ugliness were an orange you would be a jaffa !

grandtanteJE65 Wed 20-Jan-21 10:51:39

My sister spent more than she really could afford on having her hair cut and styled for our mother's 70th birthday.

On arrival at my parents' house, dear mummy greeted her with."What on earth have you done with your hair?"

Perhaps not really a backhanded compliment coming from her.

timetogo2016 Wed 20-Jan-21 11:00:37

I cooked a fish pie for the first meal me andthe now dh.
He said that was nice but i wouldn`t want it on a regular basis,once or twice a year maybe.
Suffice as to say i cook it once a month and i leave him to sort his own meal out.

SynchroSwimmer Wed 20-Jan-21 11:02:08

About 30 years ago (when Madonna was in her prime with all that bondage underwear) I jokingly posed and asked my DH “do I look like Madonna?”
His reply “no, but you look like her mother” ?

sassenach512 Wed 20-Jan-21 11:02:22

I asked my mum if I looked OK in my new dress before going out and she said "oh don't worry, nobody's going to stop their horse to look at you" smile

readalot Wed 20-Jan-21 11:08:44

I haven't got any backhanded compliments but I've had a good laugh at everyone else's.

Quilty Wed 20-Jan-21 11:10:32

Sodapop....my daughters would say exactly the same thing!!!

Calendargirl Wed 20-Jan-21 11:11:00

Asked DH if I looked ok before going out to some do. He said “Well, no one’s looking at you.”

Sounds harsh, but I knew what he meant!

Calendargirl Wed 20-Jan-21 11:13:39

Another one.

Was showing DIL some old photos, one came up of DH and me soon after we started going out, attending his sister’s wedding.

DS looked at it also and said “Oh Mum, you were quite pretty back then!”

FannyCornforth Wed 20-Jan-21 11:16:09

When I was young and shallow and concerned about such stuff I was preoccupied that my bum was too big (obviously this was before big behinds were de rigeur).

My mother put my mind at rest as only a mother can:

'No, no, you haven't got a big bottom; it's just that you are flat chested' hmm

NoddingGanGan Wed 20-Jan-21 11:19:22

About seven years ago when I was working for another company, I was filling in for an hour on reception while the receptionist took her lunch and a customer walked in who I dealt with quite a lot over the telephone in the course of my normal work. I had never actually met him before so I introduced myself whilst waiting for the project manager he'd come to see to come down to reception to collect him. "Oh" he said, looking somewhat disappointed, "you sound so attractive on the phone"! I must have looked a bit shocked as he quickly said, "no, no, I mean you sound so much younger on the phone" I think my expression turned to one of amusement as he went very red and mumbled, "you have a lovely telephone voice" and thankfully went to greet the PM who walked into reception just at that moment! grin

janeainsworth Wed 20-Jan-21 11:20:10

Occasionally when I get in from the hairdresser’s he will glance over and say ‘so they cancelled your appointment then’.

Urmstongran grin
We have a variation on that theme.

“I thought you were going to get your hair done today” ??
You gotta love ‘em grin

winifred01 Wed 20-Jan-21 11:25:56

From my granddaughter, looking at our wedding photos-
Oh, grandma, you used to be quite pretty- once!

Gwenisgreat1 Wed 20-Jan-21 11:32:49

I had been at my art club ( in the 60's) then went on to a dance.
I was dancing away with a young man who exclaimed "I do love your perfume, what is it". "Ehm Linseed oil?" i said!

Acciaccatura Wed 20-Jan-21 11:33:02

I've had two memorable non-compliments, both when I was in my early forties.
I had been conducting a choir and afterwards, a young male colleague said, "You know, from behind you look about only 18."
I replied, "You know what's really sad? You think you've paid me a compliment!" ?
The second happened when I was performing in a band; not the same person this time but he, too, was a younger male friend. He turned to the person sitting next to him and told her that the lad on the drums was my son. She commented that I didn't look old enough to have a son that age. His reply? "To be fair we are 40' away". ?
Clearly, 30 years on, I need to walk backwards and socially distance to the tune of 40' ?

LynneH Wed 20-Jan-21 11:35:26

I was showing my mil some really glam photos of me from a shoot I had won. She told me I looked very nice, but then spoiled it by adding: "Mind you, they can do slot with photography"

Daftbag1 Wed 20-Jan-21 11:42:17

First time going out with my husband to his work event (where I was going to be meeting his colleagues), I bought a dress, but then as I prepared I started having insecurities, and asked him 'do I look fat in this'? 'No', he said, 'not TOO fat'!

Urmstongran Wed 20-Jan-21 11:43:43

ja ?
I think laughter in a marriage is very important. The gift that keeps on giving. He’s 70y next year & I still giggle 50y in his company!

Bazza Wed 20-Jan-21 11:44:24

My oldest (and very glam) friend once said to me “you’re so lucky your hair suits you plain.” She was mortified at how it came out, but I knew what she meant.