Colleague snide comments

[triggeredbyidiots]

Aibu to be annoyed by these comments? I check with a friend and she agrees they're a bit off.
One was when I had a bit of spare time after work and before a work do, someone suggested I could go swimming, I said oh I wouldn't want to mess my hair up. He said "there's no one for you to impress".
Another time is when I asked whether another colleague is coming for the after work drinks, he said "no she heard you were coming".
I was not talking to him on either occasions. I've never offended him to my knowledge. I can't tell if they're jokes or just him being nasty.

Hard to tell as it could just be jokey sarcasm (that’s the sort of things me and colleagues would say to each other. Is he the same with others too?

If you were 15 I'd say he fancies you but my guess is that he's just a knob

It could be a poorly judged joke. Or he could be a dick. It's difficult to tell.

If someone who I could laugh and joke around with said that I'd probably give back as good as I got but from other people, who I don't have the same kind of relationship relationship with, I might be offended.

It is difficult to tell but if you find it upsetting that is absolutely fine and you should just say to him that you're sure he's just joking around but you find it a bit upsetting.

If he carries on after that then he is definitely an arse.

They're not said in a smiley, cheeky tone. Imagine it being said in a monotone sort of way. It can be a jokey office. But I haven't had the same vibe from anyone else. I haven't really noticed how he is with the others.

you have an incredibly thin skin

Yes I suppose I haven't take it to heart a bit. Just seems so unnecessary to say anything like that!

Have*

To cut a very long story short, my experience of very similar and prolonged comments and other often cruel behaviour turned out to be due to the colleague being attracted to me.

At the time that was the furthest possibility from my mind partly because as well as being snide to me he would also repeatedly gush about his girlfriend in front of me so I assumed he was happy in his relationship.

Do you think it could be at all possible that he is attracted to you?

Hmmm shady, he is a lot younger so not sure.

Why should anyone have to develop a thick skin because of someone's constant snide remarks?

Are we still not past he's mean because he likes you?

Are these the only two incidents in how long OP? How is he with you otherwise?
TBH the comments are a bit iffy but you'll know better than us if he's being weird/shit stirrer/socially inept/a dick/all of the above.

He is being snide. YANBU, you have him sussed

Yes indeed crow. These two are just examples. It's is constant.
One of my theories is that maybe he is trying out the banter on me? Other colleagues who are quite sharp would tear him apart in their retorts. I just smile and maybe look a bit confused.

He could have a thing for older women Triggered 😜.

Either way Clemfandango's suggestion is good. I did similar and the childish behaviour did stop. It helps if you look a bit puzzled when you question the behaviour! Gives a bit of a "what on earth are you behaving like that" vibe which is usually enough to embarrassed someone into stopping.

If he is VERY young and this is one of his first jobs, it could be a maturity/sense of humour issue and that he is not used to behaving professionally in a workplace.

I work with a lot of teenagers and the sarcastic/derogatory humour is pretty widespread amongst groups of peers and he could think giving a colleague bit of ribbing no and again is a normal way to behave. If you don't like it, firmly let him know.

lol, the do you fancy me question is actually funny. The next time he says something mean you could staple a smile on your face and say with a wink ''look, I'm going to have to assume you fancy me if you don't stop pulling my plait. It's never happening mate, so stop negging me''

Ahhh he's a dick then.

Or use the famous phrase "Did you mean to be so rude?"

He sounds like a 14 year old who just discovered negging.

I knew someone like this. Seemed like no matter what someone else said, he had to come up with some 'zinger' if he was anywhere in ear shot. It got real tiresome after a very short while. Our response to him became "What? Do you think you're Don Rickles or something? Of course, Don Rickles was actually funny." with a expression. Eventually he quit with the wisecracks.

There are just some people who are tiresome boors. And they deserve to get a bit of their own back.

I had some success with 'is that the only way you know how to talk to people?'

Thanks for all the responses. And thanks for the ideas to tackle this!