To ask why nobody on MN will say what their hobby is?

[sweeneytoddsrazor]

So many threads involving time and money spent on either their own or partners hobby, but never any mention of what the hobby is. Perhaps there is some sort of hobby hierarchy that I am unaware of where some hobbies are seen as bragging and some down right embarrassing.

There’s an mner that never says what instrument her dc plays because it’s rare and outing 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. Dc is apparently genius level on said instrument. Can anyone find Instrument X?

I wonder if rather than it being outing, there actually is in most people's heads a hobby hierarchy, and people will get different responses if they say what the hobby is:

Out at an arranged outdoor event with other people: YANBU not to be home to cook kids tea, OH is perfectly capable and should be ashamed of him/herself if not.

Cross-stitching on the sofa: YABU not to cook kids tea, they're hungry and OH is in the middle of an Important House Task of some kind.

Not saying the hobby gets everybody to assume it's a Cat 1 hobby.

PS I cross stitch and admit to not feeding starving child if I Just Need To Finish This Thread.
PS I also think if you have agreed time to do something you choose, then it shouldn't really matter whether others think it's worthy or not.

If it helps, I just assume that their hobby is dogging but they don't want to be judged.

Crochet although I'm learning dressmaking as a new hobby.

Seriously now, I guess what they mean is, it may not seem obvious to a random person on the Internet their identity by mentioning the hobby, but to those who know them it will be a quick guess as to their identity if the hobby is mentioned.

I always just substitute the word dogging for hobby on those threads.

As well as hobbies, the DCs of MNetters do activities, because admitting that your child does football, gymnastics or brownies would defininitely be outing.

Cue posts such as DH out doing his hobby after dropping DD off at her activity.

My hobby’s include
Gaming
Procrastination
Swearing
Walking
Procrastination

And for Xmas - clothes pin doll tree decorations.

I actually find it embarrassing that I can’t come up with anything!

Agreed. This is an anonymous site so no one will know or care or be able to identify you. And people even change nics just to post, so that is another layer so they won't be identified. If if they were the poster could deny it, anyway. So who cares? It just comes across as precious and smug to me. It's so silly.

If it helps, I just assume that their hobby is dogging but they don't want to be judged.

Brilliant @wijjy

I'm going to suggest this on every thread where the OP says they can't say what the hobby is because it's outing.

My hobby is seen as expensive (it’s not particularly, but it has a reputation for being an uber posh pastime in this country). I mentioned what it was in passing once on here, and it became a very snide thread about how much money I have and how I choose to spend it. I have no interest in having that conversation again.

My DH’s hobby is actually outing. Only a few hundred people people worldwide do it, and anyone who knows us would quickly recognise me if I dropped that detail.

my hobbies are making helpful (:)) comments on forums & researching - anything - by all means - the more arcane, obscure or esoteric (looking the meaning in a dictionary) the better (information junky!)

I actually find it embarrassing that I can’t come up with anything!

It's ok @TeddybearBaby, you can say you have a secret hobby that you can't tell us about because it is outing. Then we will all know what you mean.

Ha did someone beat me to it. I am quite relieved someone thinks like me. Read the thread, read the bloody thread.

Mine is running. I will now have to name change as I'm totally outed to everyone I bore with Strava updates

Maybe they collect something weird e.g. skulls

My dh's hobby would be outing if anyone I know read about it, would make it really easy to connect the dots.

I don't have any hobbies, DH always tells me I need one but honestly I'm not really interested in anything other than shopping and playing on my phone

I'm an avid knitter and crocheter.x

I actually thought I might make something up to try and appear interesting 😂 @Tinty

My hobbies are eating too much and playing bagpipes. So if you ever see a wee fat jock woman playing pipes it's me......or any of the other wee fat Scottish piper women out there 😂😂😂

Mine are quilting, wargaming and writing. Together they’re probably quite outing to people who know me (but I don’t post anything interesting enough to care), any one of them alone - not so much

@kmc1111

Is it dogging in posh areas?

I like macrame and reading. Instead I spend all my time on MN and instagram 🤦🏼‍♀️

Only a few hundred people people worldwide do it, and anyone who knows us would quickly recognise me if I dropped that detail

See this got me curious (and I have no work to do today) so I did some google investigating and the likely candidates are:
Stamp investing
Ice sculpting
Yacht racing
Soap carving
is it any of those?