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Original poster

Humble bragging

290 replies

Feckingfeck · 03/05/2022 10:45

I have only come across this term on MN but i think I wintessed it first hand... whats it all about?

Family in lemur enclosure at zoo talking to keeper.

Keeper "you can get a little closer if you want"

Woman "we don't need too thanks we honey mooned in Madagascar so we have seen so many lemurs up close"

Keeper "oh okay, bet that was great"

Woman "it was amaaaazing... we could hear them all around our cabin at night aaaaahahahahhaha" (not sure why this was funny- but apparently it was hilarious)

Don't get me wrong I wasn't jealous in the slightest... nothing i would be creeped out by more than animals at night...

It just felt like one up man ship at its finest. I mean why go in there if you only want to belittle the experience Confused

Whats the worst humble brag you have witnessed?

OP posts:
Lovinglife45 · 03/05/2022 15:13

These are terrible but I have a few.

"I am worried Tabitha will not cope in her class at school as she is so advanced. Do you think I should ask to speak to her teacher?"

"Due to my dh's reduced leave, we are only travelling to Thailand for two weeks this year"

"Sometimes, I would like to have a nice night out without men harassing me"

"As a graduate, I was unsure which career to pursue as I am good at everything I put my hands to"

"My son does not eat Mcdonald's and prefers home cooked food" (big grin)

BreakfastRaclette · 03/05/2022 15:14

Oh I really understand where you're coming from OP! Drives me up the wall!

I have countless examples, but can't think of any! 😂 Will report back..

tomatoandherbs · 03/05/2022 15:15

Rikitikitardis · 03/05/2022 14:52

All the bloody time on education / academic twitter:

”Over the moon to have been told by OFTED inspector I’m the most inspirational teacher he’s ever met”

”Thrilled to announce I am the new Professor of Cunning at Oxford University”

”Honoured to be among such incredible people as a Nobel Prize 2022 nominee”

Pukety puke.

if you can’t brag about that list
what the flipping heck!!!

if I get nominated for a Nobel prize…. Hell yes I’m bragging!!

MrsBlaue · 03/05/2022 15:16

It’s not at all humble but I still laugh about it years later. Met on the beach with someone I don’t regularly talk to, and she said without prompting, ‘Oh we’ve just been on a £20,000 holiday to Dubai”. I said that’s nice😂

In case anyone thinks I felt jealousy, it’s worth saying I’d be reluctant to go to Dubai even if it’s you paid me, let alone pay stupid money for it.

BackInBlackAgain · 03/05/2022 15:18

Tryhard40 · 03/05/2022 15:10

a client gave me a helicopter ride as a thank you. I’m worried I’ll be scared and won’t enjoy it”.

Some of these don't seem braggy to me at all - this is something I'd say as I'd be terrified too. Surely it's just having a conversation about something that's happened in your life recently?

methinks there is a good bit of projection going on here.

a humble brag imo is something like "it's so hard being as pretty as I am - I'm constantly getting chatted up and it's annoying having to constantly bat away men!"

or
"It can be awful speaking 10 languages such as I - I overheard two Italian men talking about how peachy my arse is the other day and obviously I understood every word - they were so shocked when I told them to "Vaffanculo"!

haha, humble brag, i know what Vaffanculo means.

Many years ago i had an Italian friend and she taught me what that meant and how to say it.

It was the only word she taught me to be fair.

NippyWoowoo · 03/05/2022 15:21

BowerOfBramble · 03/05/2022 15:07

I'm a real fan of the "grumble-brag" e.g. "urgh I just want to go home and watch Bake Off but I've been nominated for this stupid work award and my boss says I HAVE to go to the [free, fancy] ceremony. FML."

'Grumble-brag', I like that!

Totheweekend · 03/05/2022 15:22

ShirleyPhallus · 03/05/2022 13:18

MN is the worst for this!

”I was at the supermarket today and got ID’d for alcohol, it is so inconvenient to pass for an 18 year old when I’m actually 52!” <preeeeen>

If that happened to me I wouldn’t be humble bragging I’d be shouting it plainly from the rooftops!!

oakleaffy · 03/05/2022 15:23

Woman from beautiful 12 million pound house had a governess cart and smart pony to trot her children around in..Actually said to local pony~less children following in pushbikes ''My children don't even enjoy it''
This was London, where having stabling was very unusual {and expensive}.
It must have been a stealth brag.
''I have given my children this, and they don't enjoy it''.

OuiWeeOui · 03/05/2022 15:24

Daddydog · 03/05/2022 15:00

Happened yesterday, was out for dinner in a nice restaurant when a couple on a date sat near our table. At the end of the meal the man announced for half the restaurant to hear...

"Is it alright if I pay in cash?"

Silly man - doesn't he know everyone is this part of town only pays with magic beans and cows?

eh ? Who would care about that ? You either take it out of the wall or pay by card -same difference
Yet you need to point out you were at a ‘nice’ restaurant as opposed to a shit one
Pahahahahahaha
get over yourself

tiedyetie · 03/05/2022 15:24

”Thrilled to announce I am the new Professor of Cunning at Oxford University”

😅

Tsuni · 03/05/2022 15:27

Sleepyquest · 03/05/2022 13:02

I saw one of a Fb group yesterday:

'I'm getting a bit concerned as so many posters are struggling with their children sleeping. My baby sleeps 12 hours in the night and a few in the day. He's always been amazing at sleeping. Should I be worried that he's sleeping so well?'

It's not word for word but pretty much!

How is that bragging? Hmm

Onlyforcake · 03/05/2022 15:28

It's not bragging to co plain about harassment from men. It's not ever bragging because no-one wants to be harassed. Grim.

Daddydog · 03/05/2022 15:31

KimikosNightmare · 03/05/2022 15:09

Eh?

For various odd reasons I ended up with over £200 in cash in my purse over lockdown which I couldn't spend because nobody would take cash. I've asked in several places now if they accept cash because I can finally use it.

Show quote history

Yes - and I'm sure you ask poiletely. Yet this simple request was so braggy and loud half the restaurant noticed and rolled their eyes. Think Harry Enfield "loadsamoney"

Tsuni · 03/05/2022 15:31

Sometimes, I would like to have a nice night out without men harassing me

Wow. Harassment is something to brag about?

the80sweregreat · 03/05/2022 15:36

If tell the cash lady to just pay it back into her bank account! What's the point of having it in your purse? Most places are slowly doing away with cash too.
I can't abide bragging , humble or otherwise.

TimBoothseyes · 03/05/2022 15:39

"I don't know why Johnny wanted the small room for his bedroom, the 3 spare ensuite rooms are so much better".

KimikosNightmare · 03/05/2022 15:39

the80sweregreat · 03/05/2022 15:36

If tell the cash lady to just pay it back into her bank account! What's the point of having it in your purse? Most places are slowly doing away with cash too.
I can't abide bragging , humble or otherwise.

Because it's not that handy to get to a bank?

the80sweregreat · 03/05/2022 15:42

Some branches are still open in big towns! They haven't managed to close all the banks ( yet!)

Justkidding55 · 03/05/2022 15:48

BowerOfBramble · 03/05/2022 15:07

I'm a real fan of the "grumble-brag" e.g. "urgh I just want to go home and watch Bake Off but I've been nominated for this stupid work award and my boss says I HAVE to go to the [free, fancy] ceremony. FML."

@BowerOfBramble brilliant 😂

tomatoandherbs · 03/05/2022 15:49

Is it alright if I pay in cash
if he said this, then seriously uptight pp there to regard it as a humble brag

catscatscatseverywhere · 03/05/2022 15:56

For me, all the pictures on facebook and Instagram with caption "blessed" are humble bragging. £10k holidays, drinking expensive champagne on the yacht etc. and hashtag blessed. Yes, we know. You only posted this to express your gratitude 💩

Botoxbotox · 03/05/2022 15:57

I've thought of another one I see so regularly on here, it's more of a grumble brag.
Posters open take away threads, the "I'm having a Chinese, so excited, what shall I order" type.
Then they wrote what they'd like to order, but can't, because all of their family refuse to eat takeaway or eat out because OP is a wonderful cook and fully competent in at least 8 cuisines.
Fuck off love, your kids scoff KFC every weekend round their mates houses and your husband has a sneaky kebab on a Thursday, they are all bored to death of your grub.

octopusdweller · 03/05/2022 15:57

PeacockPartyTime · 03/05/2022 13:12

The ones I hate the most are people on FB going ‘so blessed to be able to donate to the food bank today. It’s the little things‘

Then you get all the adoring comments from their mates because they’ve donated a packet of 29p pasta and they’re loving it. People who genuinely want to help don’t brag about it.

This! This!

The parents whatsapp I am in is this. This - constantly telling each other how amazing and inspiring they are for passing off their unwanted tat to someone else. Just stick it in a big bag and give it to a charity shop without telling the world about, like everyone else does!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/05/2022 15:57

Context is all. In a mixed group of newish parents with young children and babies, if most of them are commiserating with each other because they're knackered and can't remember the last time they got a decent night's sleep and wondering if their child will ever sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time, it really doesn't help if one pipes up brightly 'Oh dear, I have the opposite problem! Tarquin sleeps from 7pm to 7am without fail and also has some nice long naps during the day. We got him into a really good routine from the off, of course, but it does then create the problem of what to do while he's asleep, ha ha ha! Still, it's been great to really get on top of the housework and gardening, I've mostly finished the programme of redecorating the whole house from top to bottom, and I've been able to make real progress on my Ph.D. thesis ...'

GhostofMaudFlanders · 03/05/2022 16:00

" I was so silly the other day, I only took £50 out for shopping, completely forgetting that I had given half our Cotswolds barn conversion over to a family of Ukrainian refugees so need double that for food. Honestly, what a thicky I am!"

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