What odd-but-lovely habits / rituals do you and your DP have?

[whatsinmypockets]

Inspired by a chat I had with a friend last night – she mentioned that she and her DP turn on 80s power ballads whenever they have to do house chores they don't enjoy, so they can play air guitar / sing into the antibac spray / throw armfuls of laundry in the air dramatically / hold the bathroom bin above their heads triumphantly while they get things done. Makes the job more fun and they get to feel connected.

It made me smile so much – and made me think of how DP and I, whenever we do something very mundane but do it well (like unpack the online shop delivery quickly or get eyedrops into the dog successfully) will put on overenthusiastic American accents and compliment one another like sports commentators: "Did you see the SPEED of that?" "This man is a true CHAMPION" "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we just witnessed history being made" "I've never seen talent like it"...

I love how couples often develop these weird little rituals that are totally unique to that specific relationship...

Given there's (understandably) so much "something's wrong with my relationship" on MN, I'd love to read some more examples of things like this - what do you and your DP do that's a quirk of your relationship?

Doesn't have to be as 'significant' as my friend and her power ballads – might just be a sweet how-we-make-coffee-in-the-morning routine or a specific way you hold hands...

Ah this makes me nostalgic for my failed marriage - there were good parts which were like this but I guess not enough. Been divorced over 20 years now. But we do have family ones (2 adult sons) - stuff from Blackadder - the "who's Queen?" one already mentioned (usually when I'm trying to pull rank to get my own way). Also we always have to have Sprouts Mexicaine (Bottom) with Christmas dinner. Oh - others I can't bring to mind. One thing ex used to say when he was cooking and the kids were little - it has secret ingredients in it! "What ingredients?" they'd ask "Nooo, they're secret ones!" I sometime say it, but it doesn't really work - it was his thing, not mine.

We also voice our cat(s) - they have always had rather posh voices, unlike ours, and are rather dismissive in tone - a bit like Shere Khan in the old Jungle Book film - I think it was George Sanders - "Oh no I can't be bothered with that" and calling us human and referring to us as staff or butlers.

But yes - the special ones between couples/partners, I really miss them. Haven't mentioned them here because quite honestly I try not to think about them now.

We have some funny dog stuff and other bits but the one thing that springs to mind is this (I'm not a morning person and he is). He will say 'good morning! in bed first thing and I will hide under the covers and say 'NO mornings!'.

It’s more soppy than funny but I read a post about someone teaching their kid that three squeezes means I love you, and I started squeezing him three times as we start drifting off. Now whoever finds themselves falling asleep first squeezes the other three times (I-Love-You) and the other does four back (I-Love-You-Too).

We also adopted a dog called Lem, who accidentally became Lemon, she is always referred to with the definite article and I’ve caused confusion when I’m on the phone asking if he’s fed the lemon and I’m overheard

This thread makes me miss having housemates!! None of this tomfoolery in my marriage sadly :( I do love the very core of him, but we're not silly together in the slightest.

Putting on the Mrs Doubtfire soundtrack full volume and cleaning was always a winner in my fave flatshare.

this one is brilliant!!!

My DH has the worlds worst memory for quotes and is also very literal. I'm sure I would look up to find him naked and somewhere between confused and hopeful 😂

This is just what I needed this evening - and now I need some laundry to throw up in the air 80’s style.

The one thing that stands out the most is we’re having a normal conversation poodling along and see some road works - one of us will have to ROAR We’re digging up the roads (ala Peppa Pig)

or OMG I’m sorry I’m late, they were DIGGIN UP THE ROADS; have you ordered me a coffee?

We don’t even laugh, we just take it as normal conversation 😂

Oh I love this one! Did you ever watch This Is Us? Rebecca and Jack always made the bed together. Making it alone just isn't as good.

Whoopsababy / Oopsababy is what i called my unplanned pregnancy 😅😂

Yes, that's actually how the expression was first coined!! (honeymoon baby 😂)

Obvious one, but when one of us says “have you got the key?”, the answer has to be “no, but I’ve got the secret”!

Oh we do that!!!! Yay we do have one 🤗

Or more I do it and my poor bemused none UK national partner gives me a 'I know she's trying to be funny so I'll smile' look...

We had a loose connection once with a guy with quite iconic white/ grey hair and we started saying his name anytime we walked past someone with long white hair.

It got more and more ridiculous until now sometimes we'll see a dog with shaggy white hair and reference his name.

It's SO random but always makes us giggle

I love how silly people can be even in long term relationships, some of these are hilarious!

We (I) have several small teddies/soft toys, mainly bought by DCs for Mothers Day etc, they live on a stool in the corner of our bedroom. There's also a few odd ones in the guest bedroom. When I stay over at my DD's to look after the GCs once a week or one of us is away from home, we hide teddies in each others drawers/bags/ bathrobe pockets etc. There was a point where I left a hobby horse in our bed (like the Godfather!) cos he'd been winding me up so he filled the boot of my car with them- DGCs were most bemused. He's also hidden chocolate in there so I can't complain. I managed to get one teddy all the way to Dubai wrapped in with his birthday present.

We also leave soppy notes. The last one was hidden in my cereal box. With a teddy.
He generally likes to leave little gifts for me to find. Sadly far too often this also includes tissues in the laundry 🙄

We sometimes bathe together and when my knees are too stiff to get up easily, he offers me the elevator to get out- I sit on his lap and he lifts me using his legs. I 'write' a little word on his back in the shower. It's the same word every time but he's never guessed it because he's never ready for it.

DH is shockingly bad at getting out of bed. If he has somewhere important to be (like an early flight) I'll say "You're welcome to stay here, but I'll be doing this...' and then sing lalala to the tune of Jingle Bells in the style of Babe the Pig.

Always get him out of bed, usually in a pretty good mood too 😂

I've loved reading this! Dh and I have been together 25 years so like others have said I think some of ours are so ingrained we don't even know we're doing them.

One that springs to mind though is when we're changing the bed Dh always gets inside the inside out duvet cover and I pass him the corners of the duvet then he flips the cover over (hard to explain). He still pretends to be a ghost when he's inside the duvet cover and it still makes me laugh.

We have loads of song, TV and film quotes too...largely from Friday night dinner (no one wants to see your titties/it's boiling / if only I'd had girls) and stupid names for things in the house, but they are more family things than just Dh and I.

We also quote green wing 😬

“it’s a woman! Not a cupboard!”

Absolutely seductive. Or as seductive as you can possibly be while trying not to fall over. 😄

When we are cuddling in bed one of us will sigh and say mmmhmmm and then nod our head (this means lovely cuddle) and then the other will nod up and down too.

It's very comforting but slightly weird....!

If we play a game we always have to play best of three / he usually beats me!

'Bloody love crisps' any time a packet of crisps is produced (from Miranda - the divine Adrian Scarborough)

@marriednotdead WHAT IS THE WORD?!

Oh yes. My friend (that I’ve had since I was at nursery) quote things that made us laugh when we were at school. We spend all our time saying “oh do you remember…..” then either laugh because we do remember, laugh because only one of us remembers or laugh because neither of remembers the whole story and ends up saying, “Maybe I dreamt it.”

We do exactly this, we pretend to point with a paintbrush at invisible stool

HOT!
Just did it again then saw your comment, now he’s asking why I’m giggling 😆

Not sure why so many of ours are bedding-related, but if one of us is changing the duvet cover whilst the other is in the room, the changer will earnestly explain/narrate their process for changing the cover as they do it. The other one will nod attentively and say things like "I see" and "Actually could you just show me that bit again?"

Hahaha love this thread. There’s probably loads we do but the odd ones that come to mind:
I will sometimes “hoover” his face. It is just as odd as it sounds, I basically suck in air while moving my mouth all over his face (not actually touching it). No idea how this came about, I think I did it once randomly and it made us laugh.
at bbqs or when it comes up and seems appropriate we use the phrase “some meat” in a particular tone (Friday night dinner reference where they talk about what horses eat- “some meat?!”)
there’s probably loads more, we are pretty wierd, but act normal outside the house haha.