To ask if my joke to new work colleague would have offended you?

[Abbeymum]

We are quite a small team and had a new staff member join this week. It’s a very friendly and jokey culture so we are always light heartedly ribbing each other.

Anyway - new colleague was eating a salad with two boiled eggs. We were chatting and she says that’s a usual weekday lunch for her. I replied that I bet she has stocked up on the air freshener for when she’s home.

Blank face…sense of humour failure on her part?

I hate fart jokes, if anyone talks about farts or faeces it instantly puts me off my food. Certainly wouldn’t have been offended but it does seem a bit like a dig and a bit early in the colleague relationship to make a fart joke. It’s probably her way of letting you know she didn’t appreciate it, I suppose it’s quite a mature way of doing it if you think about it, she didn’t complain or call you out but showed you that you aren’t to make a joke like that to her again.

Don't comment on what other people are eating, it is just rude.

I don't take what Mumsnet says that seriously. I know the real world is different.

Edit - Most offices has no etiquette.

That's probably what I would have done - and thought "Oh dear, we have a David Brent here"

I wouldn’t be offended but I would think it was inappropriate and not funny.

I just don't think that joke is very funny. Not particularly offensive, just not funny. And also a bit overfamiliar to be "ribbing" her when you've only known her for a week. Feel like this sort of thing is done when you've had time to judge someone's character and build a relationship?

Not funny, not offensive. I'd say her heart was sinking as she realised how basic the office culture is.

Ohh you!
Straight to the Manager's office for a Mumsnetty dressing down. 😂

It’s just not witty. It’s like that obvious joke sad old Uncle Reg makes at the family gathering and everyone smiles and tries to hide their irritation.

I think you need to up your game - you’re not as funny as you think.

Well you did not get the support you expected did you OP. 91% of the posters think you are wrong.
Time to re-think your behaviour.

Watch out, the thought police are here!

🙃

No, the socially aware are here.

My bet is she probably didn’t know what OP was on about or if she did was processing and unsure how to respond.

Someone joking about air fresheners to me and talking about my lunch with the context of me being new would make me think they were saying my lunch is smelly and hinting I shouldn’t bring it in again. It wouldn’t occur to me that they were just making a joke since it wouldn’t be on my radar to make a joke about people’s food.

Yes I’d think you were a pretty horrible person. I wouldn’t have laughed and I wouldn’t really interact with you again.

I love a good egg salad, but he's not wrong!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4185835991629629

But hard boiled eggs ARE very smelly and I t think it’s very anti social to take food like that into a new office.

Quite a silly and not very funny comment to make tbh, and I can’t be bothered with people who remark on what others are eating, beyond “that looks lovely”.

Not to everyone though.

Others have mentioned that they don’t thinks eggs (depending on how they’re prepared) are smelly, others have said that they don’t get eggy farts which was what OP was joking about if I read correctly, and then another poster mentioned eggs and constipation which I didn’t know that was a thing.

I bet you're office has some 'crazy' and 'bubbly' types too 🙄🥱

I would hated someone saying that to me in my first week in a new job.

I’m still trying to find the joke. 🤷‍♀️ I’ll excuse you if you’re under 5

I can't believe that so many people have no sense humour. It's not really a joke, she was merely gently pulling the newcomers leg, I would consider that a 'welcome to our little club' type of thing to say.

As has been pointed out many, many, many times on this thread, it has nothing to do with not having a sense of humour and everything to do with how childish and unfunny the OP is.

Seems an odd joke so she probably just thinks you're a weird one to avoid in the office.