To know who DH is talking to based on how he answers the phone?

[Dollywilde]

I’m not a mad stalker, I promise

I’m on maternity leave and have been for nearly a year, and DH has been working from home for the duration. I guess with me being downstairs within earshot of the study and maybe slightly bored of Teletubbies I’ve realised I can work out who he’s talking to just based on the greeting - hello is a client, hi (short) is a colleague (and I can usually work out which one even without the name, just pitch or something), hiya is his mum, hey is one of his best mates (again can usually work out which one based on tone). ‘DH speaking’ is always a cold call.

I told him this earlier and he thinks I need to get a life. Do I ? Or is this just one of the charming quirky side effects of spending a year in almost 24/7 vicinity of the man I pledged my youthful troth to?

My DD can tell which family member is on the phone by the way I speak. I also have slightly different accents dependant on family, friend, colleague, stranger.

I think that's pretty normal for most people you know well isn't it?

It's the same if you work in an office you can tell who your co-workers are talking to, often the actual person not just the type of person without hearing the name

@TimeForTeaAndG exactly! You’ve just made me realise his lapsed Brummie accent (hasn’t lived there for 20 years but still!) is one of the elements that helps me whittle it down too.

Makes sense to me. Bit like I can glance at a restaurant menu and know exactly what my DH will order.

DH has a distinctive, nice, soft friendly tone when his mum calls him, which i think is quite sweet.

@ClarisseMcClellan well quite! I thought it was normal... apparently I’m ‘overanalysing’

(Frankly I think it’s a miracle my brain even is capable of analysis after a year of locked down maternity leave!)

@SummerInSun

Makes sense to me. Bit like I can glance at a restaurant menu and know exactly what my DH will order.

I can do this for all of DHs family! DH, MIL, FIL and auntie. And I can tell you what edits they'll want to make to the meal

Yep, here as well. I can identify by now most clients, colleagues and "offical" calls when he makes appointments or speaks to people we want something from (builders, car garage etc).

He also says he knows when I talk to immediate colleagues/my team or to people I don't know very well. According to him, it depends how often I laugh on the call.

Both of us have been at home for the last year, although in different rooms. I can still work out which colleague DH is talking to based on what he says on the phone DH got the hump a bit because he’s so predictable and he thinks he’s an international man of mystery! I imagine your DH is similar.

Bit like I can glance at a restaurant menu and know exactly what my DH will order.

Partners are invited to our Christmas do, so the last Christmas do we were at I was choosing his menu for him. The main was a choice of turkey or beef. Usually beef would be the winner but at Christmas he does like to go with the traditional so I sent him a text asking which he’d prefer and expecting him to say turkey. Sure enough he responded with turkey but then asked why he didn’t get a choice for his starter or pudding. I’d already worked out what he’d want. He insisted I couldn’t possibly know. So I sent all the options, including the two options for mains I’d eliminated. No surprises when he came back with exactly what I’d already worked out he wanted 🙄

@InTheNightWeWillWish

DH got the hump a bit because he’s so predictable and he thinks he’s an international man of mystery! I imagine your DH is similar

I think you’ve got it entirely 😂 all these poor blokes assuming they’re 007 when we know them inside out...

Can also nail DH’s order at a restaurant @SummerInSun !

@Wbeezer

DH has a distinctive, nice, soft friendly tone when his mum calls him, which i think is quite sweet.

That so lovely @Wbeezer

This reminds me of how dh’s wee niece confidently pronounced that he was going to marry me because his voice “changes to soft when you ring him on the phone”.

DH has two particularly funny friends and there's a lot of laughter when he speaks to either of them. I can tell which one he's talking to by whether or not he's swearing

@thelegohooverer

This reminds me of how dh’s wee niece confidently pronounced that he was going to marry me because his voice “changes to soft when you ring him on the phone”.

Awww that is really sweet!

Yanbu and don't need to get a life OP as you are now the DH whisperer...
you instinctively know who he is talking to...
now let's see if you "know" when he fancies a walk or cycle out, when he has eaten your choc cake hidden in the fridge and any other secrets that your pregnancy self (on 24/7 wfh company with DH) can ascertain without asking ...
Love to play this game 😂