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Original poster

Why are ‘Hobbies’ so top secret on Mn?

105 replies

Alltheplantsarejustdying · 17/08/2025 17:19

😂Always when someone talks about a hobby on here, it’s never said what the hobby is and a reason for this is often that it’s ‘Outing’
I honestly can’t think of that many hobbies and especially ones that should be kept secret or are especially outing, it’s such a mystery!

Is it just me 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
BerryTwister · 17/08/2025 22:56

The problem I find with the secret hobby threads, is that I can’t actually follow the content of the thread, because I find myself trying to figure out what the hobby is. When the OP posts, rather than readings the main points, I’m looking for more evidence to work out what the hobby could be. It would be so much better if they just came straight out with it.

Redshoeblueshoe · 17/08/2025 22:31

My DH does football. So do 265 million other people.
Now you all know who I am.

echt · 17/08/2025 22:05

I've always thought it was because the poster had been around for ages, with a lot of info about themselves on MN so they don't want to give a particular bit of info.

2Rebecca · 17/08/2025 22:02

I haven’t name changed since I joined. I don’t see the point as Rebecca isn’t my name anyway.

SleepingisanArt · 17/08/2025 22:01

I love the taxidermist on this thread and may gave to Google to see if any of her work is available to buy as it sounds fabulous! The (it's fish - but how is that messy?) other thread had a lady who claimed not to crochet and rollerskate at the same time but we knew! The image left me hysterical and my poor husband couldn't see why I found it so funny! Gotta love MN sometimes

mamagogo1 · 17/08/2025 22:00

It’s all about the mystery! Or perhaps they share one of my hobbies and are embarrassed to admit it (I’m not) going to the pub snd watching bands!

Wolfpinkola · 17/08/2025 21:58

each ‘outing’ hobby + story shares traits with about a million other people, it’s a little paranoid and weird

AquaFurball · 17/08/2025 21:57

I always immediately assume they are sculptors like in to the X Files episode Grotesque. Very niche and incredibly outing. Although if I was correct there are loads of them on MN and it's no longer niche!

EnjoyingTheArmoire · 17/08/2025 21:50

If people don't want to be outed then why not just name change for that post?

I genuinely want to know what all these exciting hobbies are that I'm missing out on.

No wonder they're so niche and under attended by women if nobody will even admit their existence!

MatriarchCaz · 17/08/2025 21:50

B1anche · 17/08/2025 21:42

Is that 'ass' as in donkey or 'ass' as in arse?

The former would probably be more outing than the latter.

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Phew, it is the latter, seems I am safe for another day!

VikingLady · 17/08/2025 21:45

Perhaps it’s the risk of naming the hobbies combined with other identity clues over their previous posts. I’ve spotted two people for certain on here, and I suspect another. I’ve posted enough specifics on various threads that listing my hobbies (quite a few, some are a bit specific) would be outing to people who do actually know me.

And DH has such a weird collection of interests that if someone vaguely suspected they knew me, that would absolutely seal it.

But them I have friends with unusual interests, which perhaps biases me. I know a narl binder who is building her own shed so she can carve musical instruments and spin her own alpaca fleeces. And a man into extreme heavy metal, sweet sherry and stamp collecting. And a vegan taxidermist who wears a pleather miniskirt. I tend to assume other people are equally weird. Tbh I find it disappointing when they aren’t.

B1anche · 17/08/2025 21:42

MatriarchCaz · 17/08/2025 21:08

Ok Ok I will hold my hands up!! My hobby is sitting on my ass and drinking wine...now I am well and truly outed.

Is that 'ass' as in donkey or 'ass' as in arse?

The former would probably be more outing than the latter.

2Rebecca · 17/08/2025 21:41

Some hobbies are quite niche particularly if you have a couple of obscure hobbies and people can work out from other posts where you live. I don’t care what hobbies people I have never met have

TheGoldoffEternal · 17/08/2025 21:38

me too, I have never seen people so obsessed with hobbies that get a divorce over them

B1anche · 17/08/2025 21:35

Hiphopahip · 17/08/2025 19:19

I hate it when people don’t mention shop names, as if Tesco are going to show up heavy armed with their lawyers knocking on the door at 8am because you said their trolley boy rolled his eyes at you.

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😂😂

MatriarchCaz · 17/08/2025 21:08

Ok Ok I will hold my hands up!! My hobby is sitting on my ass and drinking wine...now I am well and truly outed.

GasperyJacquesRoberts · 17/08/2025 21:02

CosyMintFish · 17/08/2025 20:05

I can’t say, it’s too outing. There are different groups of squirrel taxidermists and I’m well known in the community.

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Fair enough. I wouldn't want you to reveal so much it'd put your life in danger.

ImFineItsAllFine · 17/08/2025 20:50

It's clearly dogging. That's why they don't want to say.

WickedElpheba · 17/08/2025 20:49

I have a hobby that is not so "out there" but I don't know anyone else who doesn't it outside of the people I met at the club so it would be outing for me.

Wisterical · 17/08/2025 20:48

But my hobby would genuinely be outing! I've never ever met another woman who does it, there will be a few in the country but probably no more than a dozen. But, like most men's hobbies, if your husband does it it definitely won't be outing to name it.

Tandora · 17/08/2025 20:48

CoffeeCantata · 17/08/2025 19:02

Ah, you see, that’s a really sad attitude. People once got together to do things but now we all just watch NetFlix.

i don’t mean making matchstick models of the Tower of London ( but that’s fine too) but choirs of all kinds, bridge clubs, archaeological digs, pottery, painting, photography as well as sports - which does still happen, I admit.

People’s lives are so rushed and pressure and parents particularly are so tired - it strikes me as sad.

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Yes it’s not the doing activities that I find twee, its the language/ concept of “a hobby”

Tandora · 17/08/2025 20:46

Tagyoureit · 17/08/2025 18:54

Because they are so outing!!

I saw several men cycling today and I knew exactly who their wives were on here!!

😂😂

That or golf 🤣

Velmy · 17/08/2025 20:43

"I went to the shops recently, I can't tell you which day as it's outing"

CharSiu · 17/08/2025 20:14

@CosyMintFish I have known two people that did taxidermy. One was a colleague who collected road kill and kept them in the freezers in the basement where we worked and the other was a woman who was a mate and made tableaus of little mice, they were actually very well made though very odd.

Piknik · 17/08/2025 20:13

Think sewing, but with two needles and wool
Think tennis, but in an enclosed room with a rubber ball
Think walking, but a bit faster
Think singing in an amateur choir, but you speak the words and wear a costume
Think painting, but with a pencil
Think windsurfing but without a sail
Think photography but the images are moving
Think writing short stories, but the lines rhyme

Oh
My
Fucking
God
Say
The
Word
Already