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.

My main 'hobby' if you will, is competing in a specific discipline in a specific sport - definitely outing as there are only 4 of us in the country that do it in my age group. So I'm deliberately vague about that one. But I also box, play the piano and learn languages - no secrecy there!

Unusual hobbies (either not done by me or not any more) that have been done by ex-BFs or close mates include:-

Paintballing (international competition level)
Dinghy sailing (national level)
Showjumping (national level)
Dressage (international)
Triathlon (international level)
Dog showing, both Crufts style & working dogs (international)
Building kit cars
Antique tractor & farm equipment restoration
Motorcycle trials
Jousting

I can think of about 5 people in the world who would recognise all of those in my past or friend's past, but I don't really think any of them are "outing" enough to be worrying!

It's always cycling. Those family budgets and weekends are all frittered away by Mamils.

So, does no-one else go LARPing then? You're all missing out!!!

... and yes, I am totally identifiable from my collective posts as BringOnTheScience. I'm aware of that and don't use this name for anything that I wouldn't put on my FB page.

My hobbies are reading, mumsnetting and playing in a steel band (badly). Plenty of people on here know full well who I am in real life, and I can't for the life of me work out why that matters, as long as I don't post anything private, controversial or unkind?

If people knew the hobby they would colour their answer based on their perceived validity of the hobby

I always think it's hunting, polo or game shooting.
It's easier not to mention.

Dogging would be preferable to DHs actual hobby. Which is something quite rare called Airsoft (I've never met anyone who has even heard of it). Our cellar is a fucking armoury and I find those poxy tiny little plastic rounds everywhere.

marmite how do you not drop it in the bath? I’ve lost count of the amount of books I’ve dropped in the bath.
Not outing as I hear dropping your book in the bath and putting it on the radiator to dry is quite a common pastime.

Oh yes, reading in the bath is the best!

Mine are gaming, collecting Ladybird books ( I have over 1,500) walking, costume and prop making, sewing.

DH are running and rowing as in the sport not arguing

Our joint hobby is board games with long and protracted games of risk,scrabble, Mah Jong and always with fierce rivalry. We also do The Times crossword together most days.

when watching Netflix the tablet gets balanced on a stool at the side of the bath

@MrsKoala

Dogging would be preferable to DHs actual hobby. Which is something quite rare called Airsoft (I've never met anyone who has even heard of it). Our cellar is a fucking armoury and I find those poxy tiny little plastic rounds everywhere.

I think if you suggest dogging as an alternative hobby to DH you might find he is quite keen.

I also read my kindle in the bath though, I usually balance it on my fat belly - that normally saves it.

I have put it down in favour of a snooze before and woken up in a blind panic when my hands touch the water!

Oh yes I shall now out myself completely by adding I also read my kindle in the bath (although I don't think it's an actual kindle and is one of those ones designed to withstand being dropped in water the bath which I have managed to test numerous times.) often with wine

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

Me too

What's weird about collecting skulls?

Didn't read every post, but it makes me laugh how many seem to think cycling is expensive in comparison to other hobbies.

Have you seen a decent hifi and record collection?

My point is that any hobby is only as expensive as those involved make it. Ultimately, as long as it fits with the rest of the family financially, and time-wise, it doesn't really matter, does it?

I'm fairly sure I completely outed myself a few years ago when I posted something on here and instantaneously got what's apped by 2 friends who went into intervention mode and sorted me and my problem out with a level of diplomacy that the UN would be impressed by.
I haven't name changed since, because actually it was quite nice (and I've forgotten my password lol)
My hobbies are crochet, reading, sleeping watching sci-fi / superhero movies and baking.
My husband does war gaming with toy soldiers.
Hello to all my friends!!

If people knew the hobby they would colour their answer based on their perceived validity of the hobby
When it's the partner's hobby and the poster resents that he does it several nights a week,I always suspect that it is gym and/or running. She knows she will come across as petty and controlling to object to his working on his health and fitness, especially as she hates to exercise. Therefore hobby, as though he is collecting Pokemon or playing games.

I always assume cycling but I suppose then I'm always biased towards the MNer as I assume the DH is a Lycra weirdo.

My mum's been complaining for years about my dad spending too much time at brass band practice. I've always been sympathetic. But now I'm in a brass band. NOTHING gets in the way of band.

My hobbies are dancing, swimming and Netflix. DH’s is warhammer and gaming

I write romance

I make cards, dabble in other crafts, grow vegetables and preserving. I have a dolls house which I occasionally add to.

My partner doesn't really have a hobby except for seeing how many dishes, knives and saucepans he can use when cooking and playing scrabble on his kindle.

I don't think I've mentioned hobbies in a past post, but if I did, I probably would just say 'hobbies' rather than the actual names of them. DH, DC & me all have genuinely unusual (and mostly different from each other) hobbies. I would worry that someone I know might post on here, and then know who we were from the hobbies. Equally, two of us compete in our hobbies, and there are only a handful of people in our county doing it - and there are references on the internet to us due to competition results, so we would be traceable, even by people who didn't know us.

Of our hobbies (we have 8 between us all) only one has been mentioned on here, another could be considered usual though not mentioned here yet, and the other six haven't been mentioned at all, and most of them you'd be very unlikely to guess. My DH is not a MAMIL, nor a golfer or anything like that, thankfully.

I know we have a lot of hobbies, but we work hard & play hard, and I spend a lot of time driving DC around to their hobbies. Somehow we fit it all in - if anything, my DH gives up time when he could be doing his to do his part in ferrying DC about. DH probably does his the least often - DC & I do ours pretty much a couple of times a week per hobby. We don't smoke, drink (excessively!) or socialise much, or holiday abroad, and we live pretty careful lives - our spare cash goes on our hobbies.

It is absolutely not a stealth boast (hence why I've never mentioned them before, I don't think), but an effort to explain why I would never say what they are.