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AIBU?

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To ask if my joke to new work colleague would have offended you?

591 replies

Abbeymum · 25/10/2025 07:58

We are quite a small team and had a new staff member join this week. It’s a very friendly and jokey culture so we are always light heartedly ribbing each other.

Anyway - new colleague was eating a salad with two boiled eggs. We were chatting and she says that’s a usual weekday lunch for her. I replied that I bet she has stocked up on the air freshener for when she’s home.

Blank face…sense of humour failure on her part?

OP posts:
NotForTheMoneyandNotForTheApplause · 25/10/2025 12:54

user793847984375948 · 25/10/2025 12:45

10 eggs a week?!!?!?😥😳

What does that mean?

martinagiraffe · 25/10/2025 12:53

You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps!

NotForTheMoneyandNotForTheApplause · 25/10/2025 12:51

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Is that a serious observation?

I thought this was a forum for the intelligent

Falseknock · 25/10/2025 12:51

RampantIvy · 25/10/2025 12:38

It would appear that 9% of posters who voted either are competely lacking in social awareness and are unable to read the room, or they are 12 year old boys who have logged on to their mum's mumsnet account.

It's a stupid thing come out with this is all I eat for lunch salad and two eggs. I dread what she eats for dinner. What does she want people to say to her. Did she really expect people to take her seriously?

Redpeach · 25/10/2025 12:51

So the joke is that eggs make you fart? Do they? Fart jokes really not funny

user793847984375948 · 25/10/2025 12:45

10 eggs a week?!!?!?😥😳

Ali2710 · 25/10/2025 12:43

Abbeymum · 25/10/2025 08:02

It’s a good job you don’t work with us, then!

Do you have a sign on your desk that says "you don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps!"?

mondaytosunday · 25/10/2025 12:40

Yea that’s not a good joke and at most would get a half smile from me and an inward eye roll.

RampantIvy · 25/10/2025 12:38

It would appear that 9% of posters who voted either are competely lacking in social awareness and are unable to read the room, or they are 12 year old boys who have logged on to their mum's mumsnet account.

Waitfortheguinness · 25/10/2025 12:31

pictoosh · 25/10/2025 12:24

What??

Q.E.D.

Catsknowbest · 25/10/2025 12:31

Not funny and too soon.

Falseknock · 25/10/2025 12:30

NoUserNameNeeded · 25/10/2025 12:20

Thoughtless and shouldn’t have been said. Even if you said it to someone you know discussing someone lunch clothes hair etc is pretty nasty. I assume you are an adult

I agree especially if they eat salad everyday for lunch. She's probably too hungry to laugh.

Kbroughton · 25/10/2025 12:28

Abbeymum · 25/10/2025 08:02

It’s a good job you don’t work with us, then!

David Brent ∼ is that you?

pictoosh · 25/10/2025 12:24

NorfolkandBad · 25/10/2025 12:18

When I was working I once walked into the office and said "Good Morning"

One person had been involved in a minor collision in her car and for her it wasn't good.

HR got involved and I was sacked on the spot*

  • none of this happened as when I worked we had a sense of humour and weren't outraged / offended at every comment, and laughing was permitted. Thank "flip" I don't have to deal with people like the majority on this thread anymore, humour sponges.

What??

Waitfortheguinness · 25/10/2025 12:23

NorfolkandBad · 25/10/2025 12:18

When I was working I once walked into the office and said "Good Morning"

One person had been involved in a minor collision in her car and for her it wasn't good.

HR got involved and I was sacked on the spot*

  • none of this happened as when I worked we had a sense of humour and weren't outraged / offended at every comment, and laughing was permitted. Thank "flip" I don't have to deal with people like the majority on this thread anymore, humour sponges.

There aren’t enough of these 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 that I can give you 🤣🤣🤣

BrickBiscuit · 25/10/2025 12:22

Abbeymum · 25/10/2025 08:02

It’s a good job you don’t work with us, then!

I think you have mistaken 'My current colleagues enjoy banter' with 'My workplace is for people who like banter'.

NoUserNameNeeded · 25/10/2025 12:20

Thoughtless and shouldn’t have been said. Even if you said it to someone you know discussing someone lunch clothes hair etc is pretty nasty. I assume you are an adult

Waitfortheguinness · 25/10/2025 12:19

Thepeopleversuswork · 25/10/2025 11:56

The joke itself isn’t the point.

The point is the OP singling out the new person and pulling a stealth move to put her in her place by deliberately making her feel uncomfortable.

The joke would probably have been fine (puerile but harmless) if the OP knew the person well but she didn’t.

Seriously…..?
yes, it was a crass badly timed, joke….but,
”stealth move…..singling her out to deliberately make her uncomfortable”
thinking you may have problem with work based interactions…..

NorfolkandBad · 25/10/2025 12:18

When I was working I once walked into the office and said "Good Morning"

One person had been involved in a minor collision in her car and for her it wasn't good.

HR got involved and I was sacked on the spot*

  • none of this happened as when I worked we had a sense of humour and weren't outraged / offended at every comment, and laughing was permitted. Thank "flip" I don't have to deal with people like the majority on this thread anymore, humour sponges.
RampantIvy · 25/10/2025 12:16

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Ageist
Karenist
Choppy bobist
Completely unable to read the room and probably aged about 12

Falseknock · 25/10/2025 12:15

Oh no not a salad eating bitch 😱

ParmaVioletTea · 25/10/2025 12:14

So telling someone they and their lunch smell is a joke to you?

YABU and you know, rude.

cashmerecow · 25/10/2025 12:14

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Friendlyfart · 25/10/2025 12:10

Not particularly funny although I do apologise for eating egg salad as it can be a bit smelly. I wouldn’t be offended as I don’t get offended by fart jokes (I fart a lot!).

sugarapplelane · 25/10/2025 12:09

Not offended, but I would be cringing in embarrassment for you on the inside.
Fart jokes are really not funny past about 12.
My BIL was an incessant fart joke maker. It wasn’t funny and no one ever laughed. He just embarrassed himself time and time again. He doesn’t do it anymore. I think his wife gave him a ticking off.