What's all this flipping tinkly laughing?

[MardyBra]

And bloody head-tilting?

Haven't been on MN much recently, and I've come back to find that the standard advice for dealing with MILs, SILs and Wendys is to say something passive aggressive with a head tilt and a tinkly laugh.

What's wrong with an assertive down-to-earth: "MIL, I know you want to spoil the grandkids with a large box of Quality Street for their tea, but I'd prefer it if you could feed them kale and quinoa. Thanks."

Instead the standard advice being doled out is increasingly a passive aggressive: "We don't want them getting fat MIL" [head tilt].

Fuck that.

What about smiling and nodding?

Nodding may set off my inner ear imbalance.

I just made that up

Which way is head tilted? Sideways? Down, back? I'd find it hard it to raise one eyebrow ironically tbh

best head tilt EVAH

Doesn't it originate from the 'ghastly' Valerie Jones in Jilly Cooper's Rivals?

I've adapted "did you mean to be so rude" to "I'm sure you didn't that to sound rude, but it did".

Much better because it's not a question.

I've name changed in honour of this thread. Hope no one minds.

I've been wondering what the fuck's a tinkly laugh for ages now.

Tinkly laughs and head tilts conjure up an image of a slightly unstable 1950's housewife who's been at the gin to me

Good. That's the look I go for

I've seen it being said, but I can't quite imagine what a tinkly laugh would sound like

Kondo no I'm ashamed to say I enjoy a bit of PA game playing.

I'm assertive / straight forward when I need to be though, in the relationships I care about.

Someone committed a tinkly laugh on my person in my last job and I didn't hit her. I think I should have had a medal for that. Especially as what she was laughing about was my written English.

Bewitched - that is a much better phrasing!

I know someone who used to do the headtilt and tinkly laugh. It made them look a bit deranged. Also, it was quite aggressive really - more so than a direct disagreement would have been.

Tinkly laugh face

Is tinkly laughing whilst head tilting why mners' heads are always wobbling?

I'll see your head tilt and tinkly laugh and raise you a 'no?' at the end of a sentence. E.g. Well we really want Jimmy to excel in his Latin no?

Fucking grim.

I've just tried out a tinkly laugh and it sounded like an evil cackle. :( Thank fuck I don't share my office with anybody.

An evil cackle might be even more effective though.

If I do any head tilting my osteopath would be very happy.

I do wish I could do this in real life: (Well, maybe not quite as yellow and round.)

Anyone seen the comedy program Miranda? The laugh the Mum in that does is exactly what I think a tinkly laugh sounds like.
If I attempted a tinkly laugh, I'd be booked in for a doctor's appointment before I'd finished.
IamEarthy, Thank you for mentioning that, I was beginning to think I was the only person left on the planet to use the words 'to be'!

I'll see your head tilt and tinkly laugh and raise you a 'no?' at the end of a sentence.

I'll raise your no at the end of a sentence to a 'non'? It makes me murderous

I'll raise your no at the end of a sentence to a 'non'? It makes me murderous Oh God yes!

I hate the "did you mean to be so rude" thing because it gives them the chance to say "absolutely I did, you enormous twatend". So if I have to use anything I state "You're being incredibly rude. Enough." Works on 5 year olds in school and 39 year olds at home.

Can't head-tilt at the minute though as I've done my neck in. My Mum does the head tilt to perfection because she's a psychotherapist. I'd maim her if I was sent to her for help; she tilts the head and quietly murmurs "and why do you think you feel like that?" whenever she's serious about anything. How she's not been eaten alive by a lunatic yet is beyond me; she spent a lot of time a couple of years back working in a high security prison, surely tinkly laughs and head-tilts have no place in there?

My mil does a tinkly passive aggressive laugh at the end of sentences like this " gosh it's so chaotic here in the mornings" . It makes me murderous. You cannot explain it but know it when you see it...

doesn't Cybil the wife in "Fawlty Towers" do a tinkly to the customers she wants to impress?

You are being over sensitive for sure. I can't imagine why you would start a thread regarding how upset you are about what strangers on the internet write in a public forum. It is truly absurd.

Fame considering most threads could be answered by Google the whole forum concept is absurd, no?