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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get the rage when people repeat half a sentence?

61 replies

NoCapes · 20/02/2016 19:52

You know when somebody says something to you, you don't hear them so they repeat a selection of words from the sentence that make no sense alone?

Example -
DP - have gone to Harry Potter world this weekend?
Me - sorry what?
DP - Harry Potter World?
Me - Hmm

Why would saying Harry Potter World at me make sense in any possible way?
If I didn't hear you I didn't hear the whole thing, therefore you have to repeat the whole thing!

He does this a lot, so does my stepfather, it is really really annoying

If you do this - why? Just why?

OP posts:
MamaLazarou · 20/02/2016 20:41

YANBU. My DH does this all the time and it drives me bonkers.

JeffTheGodOfBiscuits · 20/02/2016 20:41

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

JeffTheGodOfBiscuits · 20/02/2016 20:42

It let me that time??

Stupid autobots, I wonder if it was because I highlighted your name them mentioned murder!

CrohnicallyAspie · 20/02/2016 20:44

Yes, that's it! Thanks guys!

Woodenmouse · 20/02/2016 20:49

My dh will think something in his head and then basically start a conversation part of the way through, I'll ask him what he's talking about and he will just say "you know". No i don't bloody know that's why I asked.

I do have a habit of repeating myself though so i guess we are as bad as each other!!

hugoagogo · 20/02/2016 20:56

Yep, people always repeat the second half of the sentence and it's always the first half I missed!

Forgiveable in a stranger, but I have told dh so many times and he still does it.

SingingSamosa · 20/02/2016 20:57

Equally annoying are those people who say the second half of your sentence with you - as though they are helping you by finishing off your sentence for you, thereby saving you the bother of having to do so!

MrsMook · 20/02/2016 20:58

DH wonders why I repeat myself several times; it's because he doesn't give me an acknowledgement that he's heard so I'm left assuming that he hadn't heard the first few times.

I often miss parts of what people say, so I'll repeat back the parts I heard to get them to fill the blanks. Experience tells me that if I just ask them to repeat, then I'll repeatedly miss the same part. I've also learned when is best to ignore that I'm vaguely hearing someone, as the effort to have a yelling fest to work out what its about isn't worth it. Better for them to conclude I missed it all and get closer so it can be heard properly.

I don't realise how much I lip read until I get a mumbler who doesn't move their lips or facial expressions.

CrohnicallyAspie · 20/02/2016 21:04

samosa don't you like to mess with them by changing what you were going to say?

Me: 'I can't wait to get home and have a nice, hot
Them: ' Hot bubble bath'
Me: Sex session with DH'

SingingSamosa · 20/02/2016 21:06

Grin Grin

ouryve · 20/02/2016 21:08

DS1 does this. And he always repeats that half sentence quieter than the previous time.

Drives me nuts.

Original poster
NoCapes · 20/02/2016 21:13

ChronicallyAspie that is brilliant GrinGrinGrin

OP posts:
LucyMouse · 20/02/2016 21:25

My DH has developed a really awful habit, particularly when speaking to my dad about DIY. Whenever dad is trying to give instructions DH will try to guess ahead and repeat back my dad's words as dad is saying them. It is so bizarre. Goes something like this:
Dad: So you're thinking of getting a new carpet?
DH: Yes that's right
Dad: My advice is to pay for good
DH/Dad (together in unison but with DH mumbling so that it sounds like he might not even be aware he is doing it): quality underlay
DH: Yeah I agree. Underlay.

My poor dad is very tactful and has never acknowledged this quirk but it must drive him mad.

Andrewofgg · 20/02/2016 21:27

^People should have subtitles

And mute buttons and fast-forward buttons Grin

unlucky83 · 20/02/2016 21:29

Ah DP does this ...infuriating
And worse if he doesn't hear what I said properly and I try and repeat the whole sentence he'll interrupt and say I know, I heard that bit...well how the hell did I know what bit you heard?
I'm like cellnev need to repeat the last bit to keep my train of thought and DP is a chronic interrupter. So I'll be telling him something and it takes 10x longer than it needs to...
So I want to say
X just told me the Y road is closed due to flooding, completely impassable, seems like it will be closed for at least a couple of days, you'll have to go round through (wherever) so it will take you much longer to get to work.
Conversation will go like this
Me: X just told me Y road is closed due to ...
DP: What the road between such a place and such a place?
Me: yes -that's what X said. It is because of flooding and it ...
DP -So X told you how do they know?
Me: because they just tried to get along there. It is completed flooded and apparently will be closed for...
Dp so you really can't get through?
Me: Yes that's what X said that, it is completely flooded and apparently...

DP You already told me it was flooded.

Me: AngryAngryAngry FFS just let me finish the bloody sentence.
Dp: but you're repeating yourself again
Me: I know cos you keep interrupting ...can you just let me speak and ask questions at the end?
(DD1 also interrupts - a conversation with the 3 of us can be painful at times - we have even resorted to the wooden spoon to hold when it is your turn to speak!)

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 21/02/2016 01:37

Ok so what is it called when I ask a question and DH doesn't reply, despite it being obvious that he heard me?
He says "what did you say?"
Me: "you heard me"
Him: "oh you wanted know about xyz" and he parrots back my question word for word.

He claims he is not doing this on purpose to annoy me, he says it's just that he is in the middle of his own thoughts and so he quickly "answers" yes or no " in his head.
What the heck is that about?!
So annoying.
However, I hazard a guess that my "not now" shut down or pointy finger raised meaning "do not talk to me" must be equally annoying.

Oh and I blame the midwives for lack of mute buttons.
It's been a long standing conviction of mine that all MWs are bound by a secret MW code that has one rule "destroy the mute button hidden in the placenta".
I have no proof because they are very efficient. But I'm sure I'm right.

Grin
SushiAndTheBanshees · 21/02/2016 01:52

I think I have the most annoying habit of all in both DBros and DP.

DB/DP: mumble mumble mumble
Me: sorry, what was that? [they were basically whispering]
DB/DP: [ at exactly the same volume ] Mumble mumble mumble
Me: [louder] sorry? Can you speak up please I can't hear you??
DB/DP: [ still at exactly the same volume ] mumble mumble mumble
Me [shouting]: SORRY?? I CAN'T HEAR YOU, YOU'RE MUMBLING
DB/DP: why are you yelling? I said blah blah blah

I've now taken to not bothering saying anything, waiting for them to get shirty with me and then calmly saying I'm not a bat and won't respond to whispers from the other end of the room.

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 21/02/2016 02:10

sushi

Just ask them to text you, problem solved Grin

TheSkiingGardener · 21/02/2016 06:31

Arghhhh. My DH does that. And then gets tetchy when you don't understand.

He also does the random expostulations such as "ohhhh, fish!" Which seem to be designed to make me ask him to grace me with his train of thought. Just fucking talk to me normally!

He also never answers until he is asked twice or prompted. If I don't do the second prompt to answer it is left hanging and he looks put out.

I put it down to his mother treating him as the center of the fucking universe personally.

Wow that was cathartic.

derxa · 21/02/2016 06:53

Jean Grin

BillSykesDog · 21/02/2016 07:03

YANBU, drives me nuts.

citychick · 21/02/2016 07:17

YANBU

DH has a stutter and people often finish his sentences for him.

(slightly off topic but it annoys the heck out of me and him).

GobiasIndustries · 21/02/2016 12:09

Feeling annoyed on PP's behalf reading through this!

My DH, sister and mum do this all the time!

My sister repeats the last word of whatever she's said only but does it slowly. As if all the information I need is in that last word.

Sis: blah blah blah blah shoes.
Me: Sorry what was that?
Sis: Ssshhhooooooooowwwwwweeeeeeeeesss.

My mum will just pick out another random word to repeat back to me.

Mum: Blah blah shops blah blah car blah blah chicken.
Me: Sorry I didn't catch that. What did you say?
Mum: sigh Lampshade!

DH isn't as bad as he used to be, but occasionally does this and just repeats the same word until I have to say that I heard him say that the first five times and want him to repeat the whole fucking sentence.

Nice early Sunday afternoon rage!
AngryAngryAngryAngry

scarednoob · 21/02/2016 12:23

I find the opposite annoying - having to repeat myself more than once because DP wasn't listening didn't hear it due to a dodgy eardrum on one side (don't feel sorry for him, he did it to himself clubbing!). It drives me mad and inevitably leads to a row about my pronunciation/accent (I don't really have one)... Grrr Angry

Oldisthenewblack · 21/02/2016 12:39

I repeat half a sentence, sometimes just a couple of words when talking to my mum. To give her her due, she is somewhat deaf now, but she used to have the most irritating habit of (in my opinion) of pretending not to have heard what I just said.

For a long time I would have to repeat the whole thing, and she'd begin to answer me as I was only a couple of words into my repetition. So it was clear she'd heard me the first time. Then I got wise and started to 'test' her by only repeating the last few words. And lo! it worked! She would proceed to respond to what I had just asked the first time, despite my second utterance being merely "Tuesday" or "Sandwiches" or "Warthog". She still does this, which is why I know it's nothing to do with her deafness.

I've never understood why she does this.

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