Receiving a compliment is always welcome. But at times it can also be incredibly confusing.
Reddit user WinoBagLady felt compelled to hear about the strangest compliments people have received, and invited r/AskUK users to share their strangest tales of flattery after getting this bizarre yet well-meaning feedback:
‘Not an underhand insult, but something the person said that they thought would compliment you but just ….. didn’t.
‘Mine (f57) was when I visited an audiologist. He told me I had beautiful ear canals.’
Here are the most baffling replies…
1.
‘We went to a nearby pub for lunch cos it was a colleague’s birthday. One of the staff came over with the birthday cake and some plates. He was having trouble carrying everything, so he asked if I could maybe take the big knife he’d brought to cut the cake because “you look like you can handle a knife, big man”.’
-Dtoid_Ali_D
2.
‘A genuine off-hand remark that was a real compliment for me:
‘I’m an old guy who was once fat but is now at a healthy weight. I recently had abdominal aortic aneurysm screening (standard for men in the UK reaching 65). Nurse was moving the ultrasound probe over my tummy and said she could feel my pulse through the probe.
‘Me: Really?
‘Nurse: Yes because you’re quite slim there’s no layers of fat between the probe and your artery.
‘I was chuffed.’
-BrianLikesCheese
3.
‘When I was in my mid-40s (male) I got cat-called by a bunch of teenage girls…
‘“you’re quite fit you are – for your age!”’
-Rubberfootman
4.
‘During a work medical the guy said I was in the top 2% of lung capacity.
‘Felt like fuckin Superman aye’
-Particular-Bid-1640
5.
‘Last time the gas man came he was really effusive about how hot our radiators were and said our central heating was magnificent. He seemed sincerely excited. I guess it wasn’t a compliment since I neither installed nor ever do anything to maintain my central heating but you’ve got to take that energy where you can so I took it as one’
-Ok-Friend-5304
6.
‘Just about to have surgery and the anaesthetist said I had very nice veins while she was giving me anaesthetic.
‘Made me laugh when I was stressed so I was grateful for that.’
-DarthScabies
7.
‘I was having my smear test, literally mid way through having it done, and the nurse excitedly exclaimed “Wow, your cervix is really easy to find!” I felt oddly proud’
-Gloomy_Use5525
8.
‘A man at a tube station made a point of coming over to me to say “I just wanted to let you know, you are the most Celtic looking woman I’ve ever seen”’
-PatientPeach3309
9.
‘My dentist once told me I had incredible tongue action. He’d dropped a crown in my mouth by accident whilst he was fitting it and I used my tongue to flip it to the front so he could grab it. Awkward for everyone in the room, but thanks.. I guess!’
-elladeehex33
