Is this just having a laugh or belittling?

I would have loved that, sure he didn't get on anyway in the end, I'm used to him talking like that, goes over my head now, he's 90 now, he once asked a young female Doctor who was talking to him about his health, ah listen thanks very much but I'll wait to see the main man himself, she had to tell him she was the main man!!

I went out on a few dates with someone like this once. Once he wore a t shirt with this 'joke' on it: "there are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't"

He asked me if I understood it and it really fucked me off. The next time i saw him he had another 'mind bender' t shirt on and asked me if I understood this one as well. I didn't but I asked him why he felt the need to wear t shirts like that? I didn't see him any more after that. It felt like going out with a headmaster.

Cerebral narcissists, they take your energy, it’s such a bore.

Yeah, I'd go with 'Christ, you're tedious' and walk off. That should shut him up. Call it a shot across the bows.

I think I’d reply with ‘why don’t you tell us?’ accompanied by a big smile.
If he pushes it with ‘I want to know if you know…’
just reply with ‘oh, I thought we were playing that game where you try to make yourself look clever! Anyone want to indulge him?’

You do not deserve to be belittled.
There’s no good future for you in his life.
at the very least his parents should have put him back in his box, the fact that they didn’t shows the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Dump him with no drama

I don't think those 'don't care' responses will have the desired effect. They will just deem you ignorant and be pleased they have got to you enough that you need to use a tactic.

Just disengage completely- it's not a game you can 'win'...if they can't feel superior in this way, there will be something else. They just change the rules of the game to make sure they are in the right and you are a "dumb psycho". I may be exaggerating for effect but not that much 🤷🏻‍♀️

Brilliant. Just answer 'ask Alexa, she'll know'

”Don’t you know, yourself? Well my name isn’t Alexa.”

Urgh my brother is like this, it's draining. I usually respond with an eye roll and say something like "Here we go again" or sarcastically talk to him as if he's a toddler "Oh gosh I don't know, you're sooooo clever, what a smart boy you are and how lovely of you to impart your wisdom on us!" 😆

Q: "Who wrote this poem?"

A: "Some prat who needs to show off his knowledge of trivia?"

Q: "What year was it written?"

A: "The year before some other trivia nerd decided to bore on about it."

Q: "Do you know which popular song was based on the poem?"

A: "Oh, was it Trivial Pursuits by The Show-Offs?"

=====================

Se whether he thinks you're belittling him or just having a larf.

OH it would have been sweet revenge and if he had got on and couldn't answer a question and either your dh or ds couldn't answer but you knew the answer. I am supposing that they would not have been allowed to confer with anyone else.

Arghhh. He's a rotter. It's taken me 10 plus years of therapy to realise ' you're too sensitive, it's just a joke ' more than once is a very huge problem.

I know people can do this sometimes ( I never ever do), but it's often quite an unpleasant tactic used to deny accountability by manipulative personality types.

My father in law applied to go on to who wants to be a millionaire a few years ago, he was talking about who he'd call, he said to mu husband, I'd ring you because you're good at history, and to my son, you're good at politics and he said to me I'll ring you if it's something trivial like a soap question or a celeb question. I have degree in history and politics but doesn't remember that, sees me watching eastenders and thinks I'm a lost soul😄

You were being obtuse. The OP has a pretty good idea that her partner is being an arse.

"If only you were smart enough to put that knowledge to good use, you'd have made millions as a Chaser."

And if he still continued after that, I'd say "You're like a Poundland Wikipedia."

He's doing it to make you look stupid and himself feel superior. Can you imagine living with that for the rest of your life?!

Repeatedly doing this is belittling

Highlighting to others about how ignorant someone is, regardless of the topic, be it pop music on the radio, biochemistry, mental arithmetic or quantum mechanics is humiliating for the victim and makes the questioner a bully

My husband likes quizzes and if he asks me something I don't know when he has come back from a quiz. ( which he isn't doing to be a twat ) I just say - I wouldn't know that in a 100 years . No shame. There are things I know which he doesn't - But I am convinced he is not asking to belittle me - he's just interested. BTW DH doesn't learn lists - he just turns up.

I would say privately, ' I don't particularly like this game of guess the song, guess the flower, it's a bit weird and you seem to enjoy it if I don't know the answer. It needs to stop. I feel uncomfortable when you do this. '

He will almost guaranteed reply any of the following - 'you're being really sensitive', or it's just a joke, or it is a bit daft you don't know the answer, or you need to learn to chill out.

Basically, all these replies are code for ' I am an absolute twat and I will rely upon you doubting yourself and your instincts to win'

If someone I cared about said to me please can you not do that, I'd immediately say oh I really don't want to make you feel that way. And I'd quit it.

I'll hazard a guess he won't. His reply to your honest, genuine expression as to how it makes you feel will tell you all you need to know.

I call bell end - but he may be oblivious to his twattyness.

No is a very complete answer. It sounds annoying but if I don't know something I just say so. I don't say I care what the answer is if I don't. So the other person looks foolish for telling you information you clearly have no interest in. If he tells you what it is, just say 'how fascinating for you'. Without lifting your eyes from the phone. 🤣

tell him to get an Alexa

Yep, that's my new go to for twatty questions from twatty people,

"I don't listen to shit music. Why would I want to know?"