When people say "you look well"

[speakurmind]

A male colleague said I look well and he liked my scarf. Does this mean I've been looking terrible and I look okay now? I haven't been sick.

We've been introduced a few weeks ago. We very briefly see each other about twice a week.

I would assume he’s just being kind and making conversation. I have a friend who says this every time I see her which can be twice a week.

According to my Mum, who pointed this out after I said “aww, that was nice of them to say!” when someone said it to me it was code for “you’ve gained weight.” Which is rude, so that may just be her!

He probably just meant you look happy and healthy. Take it as a compliment!

I've always been told it when I've gained weight and I definitely need to shift a kg or 7

Possibly 😆.

A passport control person once told me that my passport had a really nice photo of me, which I took to mean I was looking like shit in real life 😁

I'm sure he was just trying to say something nice to you OP.

Only on mumsnet does it mean you have gained weight.

It just means you look great (in my world).

He means he thinks you are attractive, but he doesn’t want you to misconstrue this as a sexual advance.

Code for you look fat.
My first father in law used this phrase every time we visited to point out weight gain to me. So helpful.

No it isn't.

I get told this when I've bothered to put makeup on.

Whenever someone says it to me, I take it as a reference to weight gain. Mind you, I'm in my 60s, so maybe only my generation thinks that way.

I was on regional TV the other day and someone I haven't seen in 5 years messaged me to say it was great to see me looking so well.

I'm at least 2 stone heavier now and def took it to mean I look fat.

@WearyAuldWumman My Mum is also in her 60s, I’m in my 40s. But she has a bit of a thing about weight so I wasn’t sure if it was just a ‘her’ thing. Thank you!

I usually take it to mean that I looked like shit the last time they saw me!

@RampantIvy the so helpful bit was sarcasm.

When someone told me I looked well it was because I was wearing an outfit that suited me. I definitely hadn't put on weight.

I think it only means you have put on weight to people paranoid about their weight.

Thanks for posting everyone.

I haven't put any weight on. Unless my outfit made it look otherwise.

Im in my mid-40s and every time I lose weight people say to me ‘you look well’ so that’s the opposite of pp.

I say it to people sometimes when they just generally look happy and healthy. Maybe I should stop!

This is how I took it too.

Personally, family always told me I looked well after my late 20s. Before that I looked 'pretty'. Seems to be an age appropriate compliment..I hate it.

I use the term when I mean it. I.e the person is looking unusually radiant and happy. No reflection on what they normally look like!

My FIL told me I looked ‘fit as a scrub bull’. I’m sure he meant it as a compliment but it was hard to see it that way 😂

Urgh I really don't appreciate those kinds of comments even if they are well intended.

I make a special effort not to comment on people's appearance for this very reason.

Let's face it, some days we look better than others.

Some days I look ill, it's a hormone up and down thing I'm sure. Other days I look fresh as a daisy (those days are fewer as I get older) and I've just washed my hair.

I would take it to mean 'you look well, as in something is making you look particularly good/ well in a non pervy way. I think people say or when they know you look better than they have seen you in the past but they can't quite put their finger on what it is ..

It could be a scarf that makes your eye's pop, you have had a good haircut/ Botox / or your skin looks particularly glowy, or you have a bit of a spark about you.. I think it's a subtle thing so people don't know exactly what it is, other than you look 'well'