Would you tell some one they smell badly?

Various tactics are often deployed during matches, aren’t they?

Prolonged toilet breaks are commonly used when one player feels the other is ‘on a roll’

It’s often said that psychology plays a big part in determining a winner, rather than simply who is the better player.

Not really anything to do with telling somebody they smell is it though?
Gamesmanship.
And unsporting .

When I was a library assistant, we had some really smelly people, they always sat at the computer or reading the paper. Once they had left, the air freshener would be deployed, it helped a bit! Couldn't say anything of course!

This has reminded me of something my now 32-year old son said when he was about 6. I’d bought my mother a scented candle. He sniffed it and said “This smells of sweaty ladies.” !!! I had no idea why he thought that!

I ve twice worked with very smelly people but I wouldn’t dream of ever say anything …I d put up and shut up

Definitely! However in a tactful way. I had to do this several times with staff when I was a Bank Manager.

Thank you HQ for correcting the spelling of “badly” in the original title!

If someone was in close proximity to me regularly, maybe, but in private.
Certainly not to a third person, on a public address system.
It was a spiteful comment and extremely bad manners from one of GB’s top tennis players.

I once walked with a fellow who had a really bad odour. One knew where he had been because of the lingering smell. I think he had an underlying medical problem. How he did not notice it I have no idea.

I do not think his boss ever told him, and I never mentioned it to his boss.

He was in a stressful job he did not like, it was daddy who arranged it.

A friend of mine used to eat a lot of garlic and he, quite literally, stank of it. I wasn’t game to say anything but another friend did and now he just takes the garlic tablets which don’t smell ( thank goodness )

How rude! I was once tempted to mention the foul breath of a friend (in case she was ill) but stopped myself when I imagined how I would like it from her!

BO was very common in my senior schooldays. Hardly anyone had access to daily baths, clothes changes or even deodorant.

I don’t know, it would depend on the circumstances. If I did I would certainly do it privately on a one to one basis.
I would be upfront about it, the ‘offender’ wouldn’t have to wonder who put the soap and deodorant in the drawer.
How awful, if it was me, to think that many people were discussing my smelliness. Much better to believe that only one person had noticed.

In private certainly, but not in public, that's very bad manners.

I would be very gentle about it.
I don’t think the other player smelled at all. She was just being a bitch because she was losing.

When I was in my second year of music college, I had a platonic friendship with a young man who was a year younger than me. We were in a practice room one evening and he was humming without opening his mouth. He was complaining that he couldn't get a girlfriend and wondered why not. It was at this point that I took the plunge and, as gently as possible, mentioned his distinctive aroma. He was living in digs and thought he was only allowed one bath per week. I suggested that he could ask his landlady if he could have two baths a week. I also told him that he needed to change his underwear every day. He took it very well and, a few days later, told me that he had bought some new underwear. He never had the problem again.
It is an extremely difficult issue to air and many people will take offence, but it is a conversation that needs to be had occasionally and most people will take heed, even though they don't like being told about it. It is the old cliché about being cruel to be kind.

I have had to do it on a few occasions at work, and there is no alternative to actually telling the person that there is a problem. I always did it in private, face to face, and as tactfully as possible. Thankfully, it worked, as I think the gifts of deodorant, discussions on various soaps etc had failed miserably!

My husband yes my adult children yes, DIL would probably start a conversation about being next to someone on the bus n hope she got the hint. Actually would do that with work colleagues too.
I've only ever noticed with OH after a strenuous job he's done at work on a hot day. He showers when he comes home anyway.

loopyloo

Would I tell someone they can't spell??

Would I tell someone they were a bit snipey loopyloo? 😶

It’s not only stale sweat that smells. Nervous sweat (sometimes called stress sweat?) has a very distinctive unpleasant smell.

Says above lot about Harriet Dart. Losing.. and dealt a very low,spiteful and unsporting blow against her opponent...bad loser to say something like that publicly, true or otherwise! She knew there were microphones there.

It would entirely depend on my relationship to the person involved whether I would mention something so personal or not.

One one occasion, I taught a class of eleven year olds, one of the girls was ahead of the others in her physical development, as is quite usual amongst this age group, and she suddenly started to smell very strongly of under arm sweat.

I knew that this poor child had parents who took practically no interest in their two daughters, so I was very sure nothing would be done to address the problem in the girl's home.

I tackled the matter by speaking to this girl's elder sister, whom I also taught and simply said, I had noticed it was time her younger sister started using a deoderant, and that her classmates were beginning not to say anything, but perhaps even more hurtfully just move away from her. We agreed big sister and I, that the little sister did not need to know I had mentioned the matter.

The problem was solved the following day.

It is harder to tell an adult that they smell than a pubescent girl or boy that the time has come for grown-up toiletries, admittedly, but a discreet word in private can sometimes be necessary.

Let’s face it.:: most people with BO smell because they either don’t wash frequently, or refuse to use deodorant claiming that it might possibly cause cancer.

Anything but get in the shower or bath. Lazy so and so’s.

TillyTrotter

If someone was in close proximity to me regularly, maybe, but in private.
Certainly not to a third person, on a public address system.
It was a spiteful comment and extremely bad manners from one of GB’s top tennis players.

Agreed.
There’s a time and a place if you feel it needs saying.
My most difficult ‘having to tell’ was the vicar. I tactfully (as I thought) approached his wife about it.
Her reaction was Please tell him. He takes no notice of me!
Trying to find a time and a place to talk to the vicar was a challenge.

Greciangirl
I just don't believe that.
I think the reasons are many and varied.

I did once tell a close friend that his breath smelt - he didn't clean his teeth well and never flossed. He took it well, began to floss and ceased to have smelly breath. I think we do no smell ourselves readily - we just get used to it.