Was told off nastily for being 'patronising' at a BBQ tonight - sorry long and rambling

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

because I gave my stock explaination of the musical intrument that I play viz 'a cornet, resembles a small trumpet'.

I have never met this woman before, she is a new neighbour of our friends, so was involving her and her DH in the convo only to be told sharply that she knew what a cornet is and not to be 'so bloody patronising'

I use this stock explaination as IME not many people know what a bloody cornet is FGS.

I carried on mingling and handing round the twigletts when I returned to the room she was in she started on at me again for being 'bloody patronising' so I made my apologies to the hosts, gathered up my family and made for the door. Whereupon said guest stopped me in the hallway and said 'off to play our cornet, are we' in such a sarcastic tone that even DP looked askance (he has zero social antennae lol)

I kind of brushed past with my 'social smile' resisiting the urge to take her by the ears and introduce her face to my knee [joke]

So.......... was I being unreasonable to leave party, leaving an awkward and upsetting encounter ?

I intend to ring the hosts in the morning to apolgise for early bath

What a cow :O

No, YANBU, it sounds as though she has 'ishoos'

Sounds like she needs a good hard punch in the face. Perhaps you could arrange to meet her and take her out.

What a stupid, rude woman! She's never going to endear herself to anyone behaving like that.

I hope you explain to your friend why you left early.

She sounds a right prickly puss! Can't imagine why someone would get so het-up about a description of a cornet!! You should have patted her on the head on the way out!

Oh Gawd, what a tedious ignorant piece of superfluous sofa dust that woman was....

She sounds like an utterly charming woman, I'm sure you'll get on famously

Extraordinary behaviour from someone you haven't had a chance to piss off properly yet!

She had a glass of wine beside her, I don't know if she was drunk.

I am, in RL, the most inoffensive person you could ever meet, hate confrontation, never have a quick answer.

Gawd, it was horrid having some random stranger rant at me.

Think maybe she'd taken something? Or should have taken something?

I shall speak to hosts in the morning to apologise for early exit.

Now I've got one of those stress headaches

[high BP emoticon]

Wot a twat.
Prob. severe personality disorder.

Do you know where she lives? I'd post her a copy of this.

har har LL and CL

Thanks guys, my first ever AIBU and not got flamed yet

Shame you had to leave- it sounds like she was the one being out of order and rude. You should have smiled indulgently and said "Wow, are you familiar with all the instruments or just the brass section? I meet so few people who are actually familiar with the cornet, and who I can really talk to about it.." and then bored her witless about the wonders of the cornet for the next hour!

yy Starlight, I'll bet she had inadequacy isshoos.

Seriously though, folks it was horrid. What does one do in this kind of situation? I couldn't think of anything to say apart from 'fuck off' which was Not Appropriate so I didn't.

[well brought up gal]

Or, she also thought it was an ice cream cone and projected her stupidity onto you lest you see through her and realise she was a clueless arsewipe.

Oh I heart you all

Yup Starlight. She was so bad that they wouldn't let her play anymore. They made her turn the music over for the good trumpeters.

YANBU - she was rude and very probably drunk.

It is the height of bad manners to accept an invitation to someones party and then cause a scene. If someone invites me to a party and I actually go (which is very rare as I only like my own parties) I earn my keep by smiling, chatting, being friendly and offering help to the hostess. Who in the civilised world picks arguments?