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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to be annoyed by people who think literally

141 replies

CunningStunt86 · 28/08/2024 18:43

One of my friends does this all the time. She will take everything I say, literally.
For example, we were in my garage (new place, so was showing her around) I explained that it'd be a good space, once I got rid of the cellar spiders that have taken over. She genuinely looked puzzled, and said... "cellar spiders? But this is a garage, shouldn't they be in the cellar?!!"
I was so taken aback, I just laughed it off
but she was being serious 🙈 I mean how do you respond to people like this?!

OP posts:
MereDintofPandiculation · 28/08/2024 20:59

StressyMcStressFace · 28/08/2024 19:20

Personally I find it more annoying when people speak in riddles and expect you to know what they mean

Definitely. “We must have a coffee some time” “must you go?” I have to learn each and every one of them separately and store in an internal phrasebook.

MereDintofPandiculation · 28/08/2024 20:55

Summertimer · 28/08/2024 20:40

Looked it up, looks like what we call a Daddy Longlegs hereabouts

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Daddy long legs can fly

lmhj · 28/08/2024 20:51

@TomatoSandwiches exactly this.

My best friend is autistic as are her children. We are constantly fighting this with school re language and meaning around autism and children in particular.
She doesn't drive, for other reasons but has been assisting with teaching and training so I have been sitting in as friend and driver.

Simple things. Can you sit down, do you have ants in your pants.

So much distress

stayathomer · 28/08/2024 20:50

But she’s your friend- are you not used to it? Would you not explain and laugh a little to yourself?

Foxxo · 28/08/2024 20:49

CharlotteLucas3 · 28/08/2024 20:48

Oh I wish people would stop making this into an ASD issue. How are people supposed to know that you call a certain type of spider a cellar spider? You call the spider by it’s correct name or possibly, house spider. You both sound equally annoying.

Cellar Spider IS the correct name for it.

CharlotteLucas3 · 28/08/2024 20:48

Oh I wish people would stop making this into an ASD issue. How are people supposed to know that you call a certain type of spider a cellar spider? You call the spider by it’s correct name or possibly, house spider. You both sound equally annoying.

BellaTheDarkOverlord · 28/08/2024 20:48

Cellar spiders are the spindly ones. The spindly with wings are daddy long legs or crane fly. Harvestman have long legs but a round body. 3 different types.

ToBeDetermined · 28/08/2024 20:45

Literal communication is the future for humanity. Imagine a world where humans say what they mean literally- miscommunications would evaporate overnight.

MoleAndBadger · 28/08/2024 20:45

YABU and don't sound particularly nice tbh.

Corinthiana · 28/08/2024 20:44

StressyMcStressFace · 28/08/2024 19:20

Personally I find it more annoying when people speak in riddles and expect you to know what they mean

Oh god, this. Especially some of the threads on here!

Pieceofpurplesky · 28/08/2024 20:42

We have lots of cellar spiders. You are being unkind though OP.

Summertimer · 28/08/2024 20:40

Blarn · 28/08/2024 19:40

It's an actual spider though, the fine ones with long legs and big knees. They leave the very wispy cobwebs. They eat other spiders so good to keep them around if you'd rather the big ones aren't spotted in your house.

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Looked it up, looks like what we call a Daddy Longlegs hereabouts

Choochoo21 · 28/08/2024 20:37

Aka autism.

Which you already knew and are just on a wind up.

ThatsNotMyNumber · 28/08/2024 20:35

My autistic children take things very literally and don’t understand expressions. And I don’t call them cellar spiders either.

Borninabarn32 · 28/08/2024 20:31

Another vote for literal thinking. Also autisic though. Neurotypicals make speaking so much more complicated than it needs to be.

Cellar spider is a type of spider, but I would think alot of people don't know its an actual name of a spider, so you just say "oh no that's just the name of those really skinny long legged spiders, I guess they're called that becuase they live in cellars alot." You don't just expect her to know what specific type of spider you're referring to, you could have just said "spiders" if you didn't want to discuss types of spiders.

Lavenderblossoms · 28/08/2024 20:29

TomatoSandwiches · 28/08/2024 19:05

I was constantly ridiculed and put down, called all sorts of names because I was like this as a child/teen.

Turns out I'm Autistic and have Adhd and have burn out from a few things but one is masking to such a severe degree to save face with people like you.

So yeah, YABU.

Edited

Exactly. As an ND person, I wish people would mean what they say and not go around the houses trying to get to the point!

Or that whole part where they expect you to understand what they are talking about but they don't actually say it. It's very strange to me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Dymaxion · 28/08/2024 20:28

We call them cellar spiders here too, have no cellar either. They are clearly enjoying climate change, because 10 years ago we didn't see them ? they look like daddy long legs but without the little wings ?

KimberleyClark · 28/08/2024 20:26

outofbattery · 28/08/2024 19:46

Right?! And then get huffy when you ask for clarification on whatever they were talking about!

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Absolutely. I can be a bit literal minded.

AgileGreenSeal · 28/08/2024 20:25

I am one of the “people like this”.

I’m autistic.

DoIWantTo · 28/08/2024 20:24

You made a shitty joke, no one laughed and now you’re pissed. Get over yourself. Not literally.

GoldenDoorHandles · 28/08/2024 20:15

This happens to me a lot I'm very random and I think I'm assuming some knowledge about my life. People sometimes take me literally. No it doesn't bother me, it can be funny. It's all good.

Then I just explain further and try to communicate differently with that person. Actually it happens with OH, he's quite literal and we just laugh about it like you actually thought x yeah imagine.

LikeWeUsedToBe · 28/08/2024 20:11

TomatoSandwiches · 28/08/2024 19:05

I was constantly ridiculed and put down, called all sorts of names because I was like this as a child/teen.

Turns out I'm Autistic and have Adhd and have burn out from a few things but one is masking to such a severe degree to save face with people like you.

So yeah, YABU.

Edited

Yeah me too.

OP think how it feels from the other side. All my life I've been othered because stuff like this singles me out as different. Masking just to hide stuff like this for fear of people thinking as you do is EXAUSTING

ItsAShame2 · 28/08/2024 20:06

I voted you are being unreasonable as thinking literally is an autistic trait. My son thinks literally and we’ve had some hilarious communication fails.

CrazyGoatLady · 28/08/2024 19:51

YABU and also ableist.

I'm autistic and ADHD and was made fun of when I was younger because I interpreted things literally. But sure, obviously that was fine because it's just SO annoying to non-autistic people who seem to think it's totally normal to speak in riddles and never say what you actually mean.

The phrase "cellar spider" sounds like it might be a variety of spider, I'd probably have asked what it was as I'd not heard of that kind of spider before 🫣