dh and I been together 15 years. guess what MIL says to me when I answer the phone.........

[ssd]

WHO'S THERE????



beat that!

(oh and BTW she was calling to speak to dh, not me or the kids!!)

[HecateQueenOfGhosts]

ooh, that's mean.

I hope you pretended not to recognise her either.

[AnnVan]

When she knocks on the door, say the same thing back.
Or when she phones for that matter.
Or pretend she's got the wrong number. 'No, sorry, there's no (h's name) here'

[AnnVan]

Oooh. Pretend to speak another language when she phones

[expatinscotland]

how rude! i hang up on people who phone and when you pick it up demand, 'who's that?' or 'who is it?'

if they ring back again i say, 'the manners police. call back when you learn how to speak to people on the phone properly' and hang up.

[twoluvlykids]

Ha! You could say "It's ssd - who's calling please?" in a super-efficient way.

Don't let the old bag get to you.

Suggest she rings DH's mobile in future "To be sure of reaching him".

[ssd]

luckily, she never comes to visit and only phones dh when she wants something!

[PerArduaAdNauseum]

Or just half-cover the receiver and shout 'DH - it's that madwoman again'

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

I'd just answer with "this is mrs.x may I ask who I am speaking with?"

[twoluvlykids]

OR - just lay the phone down somewhere, don't hang up, so she's listening to thin air and paying for it too!!

[PerArduaAdNauseum]

Liking expat's style

[brimfull]

god how rude
I can honestly say I have never experienced someone saying that on the phone[shock

[cornsilk]

Expat that's brilliant - what do people say when you do that?

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

How would expat know? She's hung up on them!

Expat: mom is visiting with Hersheys, and Kraft macaroni and cheese...

[edam]

So, would it be fair to say you and MIL aren't best friends?

I hate it when people call you and demand to know who YOU are. Usually companies trying to sell something IMO.

[prettyfly1]

grrrr - my mil doesnt even bother with that - just starts talking at me. Pretend to be someone else.

[expatinscotland]

'I hate it when people call you and demand to know who YOU are. Usually companies trying to sell something IMO. '

That's why you tell them they've reached the headquarters of the manners police. All operators are currently busy at the moment. Please ring back when you learn to how to address people properly on the phone.

Then hang up on them.

[Unlikelyamazonian]

When you pick up a ringing phone, always say
'War Office. Want a fight?'

[edam]

Asking me who I am ranks up there with those awful things call centres use - automatic diallers? So you answer the phone and no-one speaks to you. VERY irritating.

[AnnasBananas]

Rude cow.

[onepieceofbrusselssprout]

expat you should run courses on this sort of thing. You have made me rofl. I love your last 2 posts.

[RustyBear]

Think yourself lucky - DH & I will have been married 29 years in May & when MIL rings, she always says 'Oh, hello Jill'

My name is not Jill.

[Jux]

My MIL does that, I usually just ask who it is and refuse to say anything else until she identifies herself properly. Sometimes she says "Is that X" (random name that isn't mine) at which point I (thankfully, but wickedly) say "No, you've got the wrong number" and hang up.

[CarofromWton]

LOL Rusty!

This is one of my pet hates too. If I answer the phone to "Who's that?" I always say "Well - who's that?" and won't carry on the conversation until they tell me.

What's the big deal about introducing yourself when you ring someone up? I always make it the first thing I say (basic manners really).

I'll get off my high horse now.