Hello Mr Magpie, kindly fuck off!!!

[MrsSippy]

I'm not superstitious really, have no fear of black cats or the number 13 etc... but I DO NOT like magpies who hang round on their own - one for sorrow and all that!

Now one has decided that it quite likes it in my back garden, just the bloody one of course, and my DH is fed up of being called to the window to salute it with me...and he complains that I am drowning out the TV with my 'Hello Mr Magpie, how's your wife and kids'.

AIBU??

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Yanbu.

glad I'm. not alone. With the "how's your wife and kids thing"

although there's one thing that makes me think something sinister is afoot even more than a single magpie.

don't know why but a devils coach horse just gives you the creeps

[ssd]

are you two on the wine already?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I wish

[CarpeJugulum]

Oh god yes. I saw one the day my gran died, and didn't salute it. I know it was a coincidence - logically! Irrationally, I now do it all the time. And try to do it surreptitiously so I don't rub this hideous superstition/irrational fear off on DS.

Can really put a downer on my day.

[InimitableJeeves]

I used to be mildly superstititious about it till someone pointed out that at certain times of year it is virtually inevitable that you will only see single magpies as their mate is back at the nest sitting on the eggs. Given that that seems to me a nice, positive thing I refuse to associate it with sorrow.

[JassyRadlett]

I like magpies in this country.

They don't try to scalp you or remove your eyes like they do back home.

[MrsSippy]

Apparently if two people see the single magpie it removes the 'hex'! That's why DH is having to come and have a look all the while.

Jeeves, I like that, I really do, but my logic can't convince my irrational side

[HackerFucker22]

I saw 2 magpies eat a sparrow the other day. That wasn't particularly joyful.

[HannaClotta]

YANBU OP, Magpies can FTFRO. Tell DH to man up and do his bit! Ffs. Or threaten to LTB.

[Rarity08]

Where I work there are regularly 4 magpies in the garden. I've never heard about the saluting thing.

[BoskyCat]

They bug me too, I'm another one who's not superstitious but can't help feeling uneasy (and I caught this superstition from FIL, who was an eminent science professor )

I realised recently that it is sexist to assume the lone magpie is a man, so I now furtively mumble "Hello Ms Magpie"

[WorraLiberty]

The magpie's hardly going to fuck off when you're providing it with so much entertainment

There are tons of magpies where I live. If you saluted them all, your arm would drop off by the end of the day.

[YouKnowNothingRickGrimes]

I cross my eyes whenever I see a lone magpie. Then there's never just one. That counts right?

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I realised recently that it is sexist to assume the lone magpie is a man, so I now furtively mumble "Hello Ms Magpie"

this made me roar sorry.

but only because I realised I too was being unfair in assuming that mr mag pie would want a wife so I changed it to "how's your husband or wife and kids today"

[monkerina]

So glad it's not just me! There's one who rather likes my garden lonely bugger and I'm always very pleased when he acquires a friend or two... currently pregnant after a number of miscarriages and even as I salute him/them I remind myself that small black and white birds have no impact on future events!

[HannaClotta]

Rarity - four? That's four for a boy. This MUST be relevant to your life somehow. Find it! The truth is out there.

[wafflyversatile]

YABU for claiming not to be superstitious!

I never notice magpies except to see how pretty they are. I don't think they featured in my childhood.

[Rarity08]

Hana a family member is expecting a baby boy in November

[stayathomegardener]

I changed it to "One for luck, two for joy" works for me, don't even bother noticing how many there are.

[cruikshank]

I always salute, although if I'm, say, alone and walking down the street and other people can see me, I do it in a kind of 'Oh, I'm just flicking my hair' sort of way. I hope that that counts.

[HannaClotta]

And quite right Bosky, Mr Magpie could well be a SAHMagpie, eh?

I also heard the bit about how certain times of year it's more likely to see a pair due to offspring.

Similarly, if you see a great big fecking spider running through your house around May, and then August, not to worry, it's only out looking for its mate. You just have to work out if you've seen the smaller (female) or the big daddy, and whether you want to cave it's head in and risk the partner come searching for its now dead mate and take revenge by drinking from the corners of your eyes while you sleep or leave them to shag in peace spreading little fertilised spider eggs all over your house

[BoskyCat]

gay magpies

Aah what did we do without the web.

[HannaClotta]

There you go Rarity, the Magpies is a bunch of old bollocks never lie!

[HannaClotta]

LESS likely! Not more bloody likely.

[wafflyversatile]

one for luck
two for joy
three for a girl
four for a boy
five for gay
six for bi
seven for orgies
eight for hangovers and I think I might have picked up an STD. It really fucking burns to piss.