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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DP angry with me over University Challenge

241 replies

Teachingquestion · 16/07/2025 07:29

I wish I was joking.
I don't really care about university challenge at all. DP likes it. He watches it and tries see how many he can score. Normally I am just sitting there/having a cuppa , watching rather than answering all the questions. I just don't find quizzes that interesting. Last night, he asked me to join in. I did and I got double his amount of points. He said "oh for fucks sake don't win now just because you've decided to "
I know this sounds really trivial, but he had this look of absolute disdain on his face. Like a deep resentment. I am intelligent and in a good job that uses it, but I was only able to do that due to a good school being concerned with social mobility. My parents are intelligent but undereducated (again social mobility issues) I have friends of all types of intelligence and although I'm proud of my achievements, it's not the biggest thing for me. Also whisper I don't think university challenge is that hard, most of the time it's quite general knowledge put in a wordy question.
Dunno what my AIbU is really, just want a rant!

OP posts:
BreatheAndFocus · 16/07/2025 10:45

So many men have fragile egos! It’s pathetic. They’re like big babies with their sulking. Ex did that to me once when we had a disagreement about a simple question. I said it was X, he said it was Y. It was so trivial that it was hardly worth bothering about, but ex didn’t just say he thought it was Y, he sat there sneering and laughing at me because I thought it was X. He then started to explain in such a patronising way - it was horrible and unnecessary.

I was confused because I genuinely did think I knew and that it was X, so I googled - and guess what, I was right! 😆 So when we were going to bed, I casually mentioned it was X because I’d googled, and Ex got in a massive huff and wouldn’t speak to me! He kept that up all night and most of the next day!

Your choice is to either diffuse the situation by saying something like the questions were in your favour because it was about topics you knew; or you can tell him to stop being so silly!

FirstNationsEnglish · 16/07/2025 10:47

Competitive spirits! 😂 Some folk have not learned how to lose gracefully.

Eddielizzard · 16/07/2025 10:49

I agree with 'don't make yourself small to make him look big'. I think you can do better tbh

Comtesse · 16/07/2025 10:53

What a tool.

TheArtfulNavyDreamer · 16/07/2025 10:54

Next time laugh ask him what’s with the face and tell him he should be proud to have such a wildly intelligent woman as his wife.

Isittimeformynapyet · 16/07/2025 10:56

Zempy · 16/07/2025 08:32

First post nails it as usual.

So bored of this response.

speakout · 16/07/2025 10:58

Huge red flag here- for so many reasons.

My OH had a similar attitude.

I remember once me winning a game of monopoly- he was so furious he knocked over the boad, tore it up and stormed out of the house in a rage.
Not long after that he became physically b abusive too- hence now an ex.

GasPanic · 16/07/2025 10:58

You showed your true colors too early.

Should have had some sort of bet, whoever wins does the housework for the whole of the next week. That would have really annoyed him.

Let's face it though, it's pretty annoying for anyone if they think that they are really good at something, then someone shows up who they think they should be easily able to beat but they end up being thrashed by. Maybe a little sympathy is in order and hopefully he can grow up a bit.

And also to piss on both your fires, being able to regurgitate lots of random facts is not a great definition of "clever". Someone with a good memory who is really stupid could do that.

sandgrown · 16/07/2025 11:01

My ex hated it if I beat him at University Challenge. Apparently I was lucky! Once when we were going to watch on catch up I cheated and watched it early . I totally thrashed him . His face was a picture 😂

Caerulea · 16/07/2025 11:08

Not me just being impressed at any normal human finding UC easy lol. We're a puzzle family so connections is our bag & we started doing the 1% club thing for fun between ourselves. It's trashy & very easy but good fun nonetheless.

But now you say it, DH is VERY good on general knowledge & facts & he can get a bit arsey on the puzzle side of things cos he doesn't find that as easy as me & the kids do. It's just different types of intelligence - I'd not be offended by getting my arse whooped on university challenge (though the contestants themselves drive me nuts)

AguNwaanyi · 16/07/2025 11:09

It's the question format of UC and quizzes generally that trips up most people. Yes, it is general knowledge, but the adjusting to the format within a time constraint is muscle that needs training for many. There are many well read people that don't do well with these types of quiz formats. It sounds like you are particularly diligent with checking up references so that's great training you had earlier on.

If you are known to be well read then this can't be new to your partner. But either way, its his insecurity to deal with. Men love to humble women.

the80sweregreat · 16/07/2025 11:13

UC is one of the harder quiz shows around and going by the ones on there who don’t even answer a question you did well op. Your DP is just being nasty. I agree that it’s irrational behavior and I hope that this type of attitude isn’t how he is about other things as well.

Tortielady · 16/07/2025 11:15

zaxxon · 16/07/2025 10:15

They say the last person to have "read everything" – that is, everything worth reading – was Coleridge. Not sure how they can tell, but it's interesting all the same.

Am I the only one who has a tiny shred of sympathy for the husband? Yes, he acted like a dick, and yes, he probably is a twat. But it does drive me nuts when I'm sweating blood over a difficult cryptic crossword, and then DP comes and looks over my shoulder and casually fills in half the remaining answers as if it was no big deal.

It probably is no big deal for your DP, if their brain is wired to make connections between two or more apparently unlikely objects or ideas. My brain is just about able to take on and complete the Guardian quick crossword; I haven't attempted the cryptic in years. That said, it's possible that you are getting something out of the cryptic crossword your DP isn't, for the exact reason it's difficult for you - it's pushing you to make connections and notice patterns and it's developing the part of your brain that's involved with these skills. Your DP can already do it, which is great, but you're learning to do something new for your skill-set. I do puzzles and picture search games for a similar reason - I'm not very good at picking up patterns in visual material, eg, spot the cat in a picture of owls - but the more I do them, the better I get.

MixedFeelingsNoFeelings · 16/07/2025 11:17

Your post reminds me of the time I watched University Challenge with MiL and some other in-laws. I got quite a few questions (I think they were surprised!) and at the end MiL said rather sniffily, 'Just because you went to university MFNF, that doesn't make you better'!!

I was surprised to find it didn't bother me at all. I did love her, and she was known for pronouncing on everybody, so suddenly that was 'my' thing - too brainy for her own good😂

LittlleMy · 16/07/2025 11:17

Oh gosh this thread is bringing up previously latent memories! Agree with all those t calling this petty, jealous and immature behaviour. So I have a ridiculous story! When I got with an ex over 10 years ago now, I used to love watching The Simpsons at his because he had Sky. At that time the new episodes could only be watched there and as I didn’t have Sky, I’d binge watch the latest ones at his. So I have this knack of guessing celebs based on their voice and I as soon as a new one off character was introduced I’d shout out who it was and invariably I would be correct. Well, for some reason instead of finding this a cute, silly, quirky trait as it were, he would get really worked up and every single time without fail would accuse me of knowing it beforehand so in the end I just kept my superpower to myself lol. But it was sad because essentially I’m being accused of being a liar.

Then another time, that same ex wanted to play a word game with me so I said great let’s go, because ya’ know I excel at those! He ended up beating me and before I could say well done he immediately went in on me hard gleefully saying things like “omg can’t believe I beat you. Your degree didn’t help you out there did it?!” 😳 Like I never ever mention my degree 😑 so he must for some unknown reason just have harboured a weird resentment about this and it came out in this way.

Needless to say that relationship was over before the year was out - actually we were married and it was an annulment- it that’s a story for another day!

whackamole666 · 16/07/2025 11:21

I never thought to add up my points won - brilliant!

Chicaontour · 16/07/2025 11:22

Teachingquestion · 16/07/2025 08:18

I love learning for its own sake and this thread has reminded me of my book. When I was younger, mum took us to the library a lot and I had a little notebook that if I saw something on telly , or there was a reference in a book I was reading that I wanted to know more about/a famous painting mentioned that I wanted to look up etc or a piece of music , I would write it in my notebook and go and then go to the library and look everything up and make notes. This will age me but I remember looking up every reference In that song "we didn't start the fire" (after taping it off the radio and slowly copying it out having no idea how to spell half of it 😀 )

You remind me of a friend who used to read the Sunday papers with a notebook beside her to write new words down. I remember thinking she has the right idea. There's a phrase in rise about your raring, in this case, rise above the opportunities that your family had. Intelligence is not always linked to book smarts e.g. my mam left school at 12 and is very intelligent in many different ways. I had the opportunities that my parents didn't. ps your husband expected to trounce you and has acted like a DICK

zaxxon · 16/07/2025 11:23

> Whatever you do, don't tell him you "don't find it that hard"!
Because we should pander to the less intelligent and insecure?

Maybe a tiny bit, if you love them – and you're confident they won't behave like an arse to you.

DiscoBob · 16/07/2025 11:25

Gawd, I rarely even get one correct answer! Mind you I didn't go to uni. I'm not that bad at quizzes in general though.

Your fella sounds jealous and babyish for not just taking as all a bit of fun. Does he feel threatened intellectually by you? Does he try and undermine your intelligence in other ways?

If so that's a big red flag.

BufferingAgain · 16/07/2025 11:28

This can’t be the first time he’s got annoyed at you for achieving more than him - I can’t see this coming out of the blue?

Just shows so little self awareness to be annoyed at his partner, show it and not wonder why. Is he a bit dim at other times?

JustSawJohnny · 16/07/2025 11:30

You bruised his poor baby ego, hun!

I agree that men with insecurities cannot handle intelligent women.

Don't dumb yourself down for him. It's not your problem. It's his.

Let him wallow in it.

Get ready for round 2, though. He'll convince himself that was beginner's luck or some other bullshit and he'll need to rectify it!

WhatK8DidNext · 16/07/2025 11:40
Reese Witherspoon What Like Its Hard GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

He sounds like Warner Huntington III … channel your inner Elle Woods!

vixen996 · 16/07/2025 11:44

My ex was like this. We played WWTBAM on the Nintendo Wii one night and he lost at £32k. I however then went on to win the million and he was furious and accused me of playing the game so much that I knew the answers already! I had only bought the game the day before and it was the first time we played it! 🙄🤣. I’m an intelligent person and so is ex, but he just couldn’t stand the fact that I’d beaten him 🤦‍♀️

thatsalad · 16/07/2025 11:50

He can't stand that a woman might be smarter than him. This would give me the ick

godmum56 · 16/07/2025 11:57

Neemie · 16/07/2025 10:45

Well you are godmum

yup, always known it.

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