Why can't women give a simple answer to a simple question?
Discussion
Frustrates the life out of me much as I love her.
Although we have been married almost 25 years and SWMBO knows I like simple answers to simple questions, she just doesn't seem capable of answering questions that way.
For example, Mrs TT is doing some house viewings this afternoon and called me to give me an update between viewings. She was describing the property details and I asked her if she had met the owners (as it was relevant to the discussion. she then described how she had arrived and some people had been milling around in the driveway and then the estate agent appeared while SWMBO was sat outside in the car. I then asked again, "So, did you meet the owners, yes or no?" and got a "no". I didn't need the other information. It was superfluous to the point and I cannot imagine in whose world it would be relevant.
I then asked her if the house was a contender and got a ten minute diatribe about how it looks and what opportunities there were to improve it. Again I asked if it was a contender. "Yes" she said.
How blody hard is it to answer the question first and then provide some qualifying information if necessary?
Please say its not just me.
Although we have been married almost 25 years and SWMBO knows I like simple answers to simple questions, she just doesn't seem capable of answering questions that way.
For example, Mrs TT is doing some house viewings this afternoon and called me to give me an update between viewings. She was describing the property details and I asked her if she had met the owners (as it was relevant to the discussion. she then described how she had arrived and some people had been milling around in the driveway and then the estate agent appeared while SWMBO was sat outside in the car. I then asked again, "So, did you meet the owners, yes or no?" and got a "no". I didn't need the other information. It was superfluous to the point and I cannot imagine in whose world it would be relevant.
I then asked her if the house was a contender and got a ten minute diatribe about how it looks and what opportunities there were to improve it. Again I asked if it was a contender. "Yes" she said.
How blody hard is it to answer the question first and then provide some qualifying information if necessary?
Please say its not just me.
No its not just you. Mine will never give a straight answer to a straight question even: "Would you like a cup of tea?". The answer to this one will be "What time is it?" or "What are you having?" or "I had a cup of coffee earlier but it went cold before I could drink it?"
She would make a top class politician for this alone but given that she is also intelligent and has more than her fair share of common sense it can be infuriating.
She would make a top class politician for this alone but given that she is also intelligent and has more than her fair share of common sense it can be infuriating.
Tyre Tread said:
Please say its not just me.
It's not just you.I can (indeed have, several times) got very annoyed with my wife about this. Sometimes it's important to give clear and concise information and she is absolutely incapable of doing it.
I don't know how she does it - I've tried to do it back to her to demonstrate what she's doing and I can't.
"Do you know Ben from work?"
"I've heard of him."
"Well, his mother lives in Swindon and has a dog and I heard that Jennifer from work is getting married."
"Great, thanks."
"But more than that, you'll be amazed that Donna is having a child soon!"
"Right, thanks for telling me."
"I just phoned to tell you that Donna is having a child."
"You mean the Donna whose wedding we attended about 18 months ago?"
"Yes!"
"Is that really amazing?"
Why do I need to hear about Ben and Jennifer and Ben's mother for that news? Especially since I don't really care about Donna's pregnancy.
"I've heard of him."
"Well, his mother lives in Swindon and has a dog and I heard that Jennifer from work is getting married."
"Great, thanks."
"But more than that, you'll be amazed that Donna is having a child soon!"
"Right, thanks for telling me."
"I just phoned to tell you that Donna is having a child."
"You mean the Donna whose wedding we attended about 18 months ago?"
"Yes!"
"Is that really amazing?"
Why do I need to hear about Ben and Jennifer and Ben's mother for that news? Especially since I don't really care about Donna's pregnancy.
The clue is in the thread title. It's because women are not simple creatures.
I asked the other half what was for tea last night. I got a full round up of the contents of our fridge, what we could have eaten had we had the relevant ingredients and also that she was going to make a home made soup tomorrow so we needed some more veg. Great, after 5 minutes of "conversation" on her part, I didn't actually get an answer. I pottered around the garage for a while then she called me in for food at which point my question was answered (some 30 minutes after asking.)
I'm cooking something nice at the weekend. I can't wait for her to ask what it is. I might try her response...
I asked the other half what was for tea last night. I got a full round up of the contents of our fridge, what we could have eaten had we had the relevant ingredients and also that she was going to make a home made soup tomorrow so we needed some more veg. Great, after 5 minutes of "conversation" on her part, I didn't actually get an answer. I pottered around the garage for a while then she called me in for food at which point my question was answered (some 30 minutes after asking.)
I'm cooking something nice at the weekend. I can't wait for her to ask what it is. I might try her response...
Same here, I will ask a simple quation that requires a simple yes or no answer; however I will get the yes or no answer; usually no, only after a long explanation as to why she is unable to do it; I don't care why, I just want to know if.
Example:
Me: "Have you managed to walk the dogs this afternoon?"
Her: "Well I've been a bit busy, I've had paperwork that I've needed to catch up on and then I had to shoot to town to collect XYZ, I bumped into Helen so we had a coffee and then I came back to the washing machine that had just finished, so that needed sorting and hanging up; ohh I've just been so busy, you just wouldn't believe it"
Me: "ok; that is a no then?"
Her: "yep, sorry"
Arghhh, a "no; I've been busy" would have sufficed.
We have been together 23 years, she knows I don't need an explanantion, I'm an easy going guy and I understand there are other things to be done and I know she is a busy person and I know that things crop up, I don;t need a long and drawn out explanation!!
Example:
Me: "Have you managed to walk the dogs this afternoon?"
Her: "Well I've been a bit busy, I've had paperwork that I've needed to catch up on and then I had to shoot to town to collect XYZ, I bumped into Helen so we had a coffee and then I came back to the washing machine that had just finished, so that needed sorting and hanging up; ohh I've just been so busy, you just wouldn't believe it"
Me: "ok; that is a no then?"
Her: "yep, sorry"
Arghhh, a "no; I've been busy" would have sufficed.
We have been together 23 years, she knows I don't need an explanantion, I'm an easy going guy and I understand there are other things to be done and I know she is a busy person and I know that things crop up, I don;t need a long and drawn out explanation!!
Tyre Tread said:
Frustrates the life out of me much as I love her.
Although we have been married almost 25 years and SWMBO knows I like simple answers to simple questions, she just doesn't seem capable of answering questions that way.
For example, Mrs TT is doing some house viewings this afternoon and called me to give me an update between viewings. She was describing the property details and I asked her if she had met the owners (as it was relevant to the discussion. she then described how she had arrived and some people had been milling around in the driveway and then the estate agent appeared while SWMBO was sat outside in the car. I then asked again, "So, did you meet the owners, yes or no?" and got a "no". I didn't need the other information. It was superfluous to the point and I cannot imagine in whose world it would be relevant.
I then asked her if the house was a contender and got a ten minute diatribe about how it looks and what opportunities there were to improve it. Again I asked if it was a contender. "Yes" she said.
How blody hard is it to answer the question first and then provide some qualifying information if necessary?
Please say its not just me.
It's not just women, we have a guy in the office who can't answer a simple question without giving you a fAlthough we have been married almost 25 years and SWMBO knows I like simple answers to simple questions, she just doesn't seem capable of answering questions that way.
For example, Mrs TT is doing some house viewings this afternoon and called me to give me an update between viewings. She was describing the property details and I asked her if she had met the owners (as it was relevant to the discussion. she then described how she had arrived and some people had been milling around in the driveway and then the estate agent appeared while SWMBO was sat outside in the car. I then asked again, "So, did you meet the owners, yes or no?" and got a "no". I didn't need the other information. It was superfluous to the point and I cannot imagine in whose world it would be relevant.
I then asked her if the house was a contender and got a ten minute diatribe about how it looks and what opportunities there were to improve it. Again I asked if it was a contender. "Yes" she said.
How blody hard is it to answer the question first and then provide some qualifying information if necessary?
Please say its not just me.
king story. I agree, and on a related subject I've also found that my wife would keep saying 'I have told you this' about important information, e.g. my car is making a weird noise (brakes down to the metal in that case), or an important date I need to book off work.
I think I have figured this out, and the reason why I never hear this critical nugget of information being announced is because she slips it the middle of (for example) a 20 min diatribe regarding people I have never met moaning about other people I have never met.
"Lorna said that Liz said Emily said she was being really rude ... oh and a big metal thing fell of my car today ... oh yeah really rude she said. I didn't hear but Lorna definitely heard it so I'm sure it's true, she doesn't make stuff like that up".
I think I have figured this out, and the reason why I never hear this critical nugget of information being announced is because she slips it the middle of (for example) a 20 min diatribe regarding people I have never met moaning about other people I have never met.
"Lorna said that Liz said Emily said she was being really rude ... oh and a big metal thing fell of my car today ... oh yeah really rude she said. I didn't hear but Lorna definitely heard it so I'm sure it's true, she doesn't make stuff like that up".
Triumph Man said:
Pothole said:
You know you've just told us you're mugs, chaps? Why listen to the fluff? Interrupt and ask for the straight answer. What are you scared of? (or more to the point, what blinded ou to this flaw before you committed to such a frustrating life?)
I just walk awaykwittery because we did. I'll admit I like to talk about stuff so maybe I'm not as unreconstructed as the OP and his cohorts.Pothole said:
You know you've just told us you're mugs, chaps? Why listen to the fluff? Interrupt and ask for the straight answer. What are you scared of? (or more to the point, what blinded ou to this flaw before you committed to such a frustrating life?)
I do interrupt. She then gets shirty/upset/angry/sarcastic. Believe me you can't win.I'm not sure she was like this 25 years ago. MAybe I was just more tolerant.
She realised I was getting frustrated by her wafflings as she suddenly said, " Oh, I know, just give you the baby and not the birth pains..." which is what I ususally say to her. So she musn't realise she's doing it until part way through her ramblings.
Mrs Alvarez this is your thread!!!!
I can tolerate this most of the time. But every once in a while she will realise I'm far too relaxed and comfortable and ups the irritaion.
I feel to order a pizza do you want one?
Where are you getting it from?
Dominoes
Ok
Do you want one?
What are you having on yours?
My usual. Do you want one?
I'm calling them now do you want a pizza?
I said yes.
No you didn't. What do you want on your pizza?
What do they have?
I don't know. It's Dominoes. The usual, ground beef, ham, pepperoni. It's a pizza FFS what do you want on it?
Are you picking it up?
WOMAN WHAT DO YOU WANT ON YOUR FECKIN PIZZA!?!?!?!!
I can tolerate this most of the time. But every once in a while she will realise I'm far too relaxed and comfortable and ups the irritaion.
I feel to order a pizza do you want one?
Where are you getting it from?
Dominoes
Ok
Do you want one?
What are you having on yours?
My usual. Do you want one?
I'm calling them now do you want a pizza?
I said yes.
No you didn't. What do you want on your pizza?
What do they have?
I don't know. It's Dominoes. The usual, ground beef, ham, pepperoni. It's a pizza FFS what do you want on it?
Are you picking it up?
WOMAN WHAT DO YOU WANT ON YOUR FECKIN PIZZA!?!?!?!!
Pothole said:
Triumph Man said:
Pothole said:
You know you've just told us you're mugs, chaps? Why listen to the fluff? Interrupt and ask for the straight answer. What are you scared of? (or more to the point, what blinded ou to this flaw before you committed to such a frustrating life?)
I just walk awaykwittery because we did. I'll admit I like to talk about stuff so maybe I'm not as unreconstructed as the OP and his cohorts.Triumph Man said:
It's not just women, we have a guy in the office who can't answer a simple question without giving you a fking story.
We have a guy like that too, he is a fking story. king nightmare and loves the sound of his own voice too.Ask him if he can pick up a car from another branch; instead of a yes or no answer he will say something along the lines of:
"well I've got three collection and deliveries; one of which is (insert area of Surrey that I don't know, however must be a fair distance away), them there are 3 MOT's that need taking down and I've got to help so and so move a car, then xyz is on lunch and he will need to cover them; mmmmm I'm not sure"
I have told him on numerous occasions that what he has to do is of no concern to me, I just want to know if he can do what I want to be done with a simple "yes" or "no" answer.
However it doesn't end there; he will manage to resolve the problem and after telling me his tale of what he has to do, a "window of opportunity" will appear, however it has to be now as he has managed to shift a few things about; he will say this quite loudly so that everyone can hear that he has managed to sort the situation.
he just loves the sound of his own voice and loves the fact that he is now the saviour.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff