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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

"You are short and thick"

421 replies

Nadia86 · 20/06/2019 19:58

Hi. First time poster here. Need some advice or perspective. I realise people have real problems and this is probably nothing but I am lost and really not sure what to do.
Have been with my boyfriend just over a year .Great relationship ,partnership I would say ,no issues at all. Until this week. We do not live together ,we are happy as we are.
We talk all the time on the phone ,whatsapp as we live in different places ,half an hour away train journey. We see each other 2-3 times a week –again it suits us fine.
Two days ago we were talking about my country of origin on whatsapp and I said my looks indicate where I come from (facial features etc no need for detail here).To which he responded that he didn’t think I was tall enough –he pictured women from my country to be tall and slim and I am “short and thick”! I got annoyed and told him so and was not very chatty with him all day that day but didn’t discuss it any further as I wanted to see him on Wednesday (as we previously planned) to discuss what he said and why I thought it wasn’t nice.
The next day we just had a casual chat on whatsapp as usual and I said to him why his comment was unnecessary and that I couldn’t believe he didn’t get it. He responded with ……a gallery of screen shots of “thick” Instagram models (curvy pretty girls but not skinny ) saying “I stand by what I said –you are not skinny”. To which I replied that I am more than aware of what I look like and that it is not necessary for him to point it out. And then I mentioned about me coming over tonight and said I would like us to have dinner etc and we could discuss it ,I could explain my point of view and just see each other. He told me to give it a miss and that if he is making me so insecure then we both need to give it some thought…. That was yesterday afternoon .Not heard anything since. Spoke to a few friends and decided to give him time.

Wtf????? I am struggling to see where I went wrong here apart from pointing out I didn’t like the comment and that I wanted to explain to him why.
Not sure what the hell this silence from him means. This has never happened before. We are both 35,mature adults who have not had any issues like that before.
My issue is - I am still just as insecure as any other woman is. I am a UK size 8/10,very fit, healthy and attractive (don’t mean to sound in love with myself as that’s not the case). I am awesome! I know I am not tall and slim and I am thick and curvy but I am who I am . I look good. He loves my body and I love his. He is healthy ,fit and we both have the same goals in regards to our health and fitness and we support each other. Not sure why he tried so hard to tell me /prove to me that I am not skinny! To do his stupid instagram research to prove his point as if I didn’t get what he was saying first time around.
And whats worst –I haven’t heard from him since yesterday. Not sure what the hell is going on. Spoke to some friends – different ideas here as what happened-he is in a huff because I was in a huff (lol). He is trying to show me who is the boss and that I am wrong. 3-He knows he did wrong and does not want to admit it. Honestly I am lost. Cant stand this silence.I am pissed off and want to tell him that but will not do it over a text. One friend suggested he is acting like a child and playing games (again it has never happened before). Other friend told me to ignore it. But I am too angry and sad at the same time to leave it like this. What do I do?????

OP posts:
Thequaffle · 20/06/2019 20:52

I’m sorry but I am 36 and if someone tells me my body is thick I take it as a compliment.
Thick doesn’t mean thick set. If someone means thick-set they are more likely to say something like “chunky”

Nadia86 · 20/06/2019 20:53

He is native British so speaks English pretty well lol

OP posts:
Proteinshakesandtears · 20/06/2019 20:57

What's happened is

He gave a compliment
You didnt like it, believing 'thick' cant be a compliment
You told him
He tried to show you photos of it being s good thing
You still werent happy and dont believe it can be a compliment, because you see skinny as the positive look
He has got exasperated and needs some space

If there is a pattern of him sulking, I could see you point. If not, he probably just doesnt know what to say and feels confused about how a compliment went wrong.

If you dont like it just ask him not use it future.

DawgLover · 20/06/2019 20:57

Thick definitely doesn't mean thickset anymore and it absolutely is a compliment.

If I complemented a person, and then took the time to outline why it was a complement when it was clear they had misunderstood, and they themself admitted this complement to be reflective of them but still wanted to meet face to face to take it through I'd probably back off a bit too.

Apart from apologising for paying you a complement that you factually agree with what do you want him to do?

BlueMerchant · 20/06/2019 20:57

I think the silent treatment is about not wanting to meet up for a huge, serious and analytical discussion about a remark that was maybe said without much thought (but not meant to be derogatory).
He's probably thinking it's got too out of hand and is it really worth all the drama.

HundredMilesAnHour · 20/06/2019 20:58

To be honest it sounds like there was some clear miscommunication between the two of you (partly due to him using the language of a teenager and partly due to you having some sort of strange reaction to him describing/complimenting your body), then you argued and you admit that you were in a mood with him all that day. Then I guess you both try to make peace but you want to talk about the disagreement AGAIN over dinner? Why didn't you give it a rest and let things lie for a while? It's hardly surprising that he didn't want to meet you for dinner and has gone silent since then.

It seems like you've made a massive mountain out of a molehill. Is this a reflection of other issues in your relationship? If it's not and you're usually happy with him, why wouldn't you just text him to say "hey sorry I was in a mood with you, I love you, let's meet up and spend some time together". And if he says no or doesn't reply, he's an arse and then you know you deserve better. But if he has any common sense he'll apologise for upsetting you and meet him with you. Why would you waste time gameplaying and waiting for him to contact you, and asking other people what to do? Just contact him and have an actual conversation.

KeepCoolCalmAndCollected · 20/06/2019 20:58

"I'm guessing he's now rather embarrassed and not sure how to fix things."

If the above is the case, how feeble!
George - and how would you explain away the 'short' description?

Feelingwalkedover · 20/06/2019 21:00

He’s a twat .dump

Proteinshakesandtears · 20/06/2019 21:00

Why is short an insult?

OP describes herself as 'thick and short'.

Why do people hold up tall and skinny as the only positive description?

Nadia86 · 20/06/2019 21:00

Thank you proteinsgakesandtears. You have made some good points here and Yes,it might be that my body issues have played a part in it. Or he was just being an insensitive ass.Just sad about it all.

OP posts:
Sparrowlegs248 · 20/06/2019 21:02

Oh god. First of all, you are neither short, nor "thick" if you are 5ft 6 and size 8/10.

It doesn't sound as though he meant it as an insult though, and you describe yourself as thick. I can't really see the issue other than you both have very odd ideas of what "thick" constitutes.

HundredMilesAnHour · 20/06/2019 21:02

how would you explain away the 'short' description?

She's 5'6 but if the women he knows and/or the women from her country are much taller than that, or if he's really tall himself, she's "short". It's all relative.

I used to be a rower so spent a lot of time surrounded by very tall people. I was one of the shortest at 5'9. "Short" was often used to describe men who were "only" 6 foot.

Proteinshakesandtears · 20/06/2019 21:04

Nadia86 I think a bit of both. You feel certain things about your own body.

He clearly likes it and complimented it. You didnt take it that way.

And now its blown up into a massive issue, when it didnt need to be.

And to be honest I wouldnt want to talk it out again.

I genuinely think the photos were him saying 'look thick is gorgeous and I meant it as a compliment'

Proteinshakesandtears · 20/06/2019 21:06

First of all, you are neither short, nor "thick" if you are 5ft 6 and size 8/10.

You arent getting it. Thick isnt about dress size. Its about body shape and is a compliment.

Nadia86 · 20/06/2019 21:06

I am not messaging cause he wanted time to think. Also I didnt want a big discussion over dinner.Told him I wanted to see him and that I simply didnt want to discuss my reaction to his comments over the messages.Wanted to see him and clear the air thats all. Im not hard work or drama queen. But I guess I might have overreacted slightly. No ,he doesnt sulk neither do I.

OP posts:
Thequaffle · 20/06/2019 21:06

Proteinshakes.....
...thank you!!!! Yes! “Short” is not an insult.

Tall and skinny is not the only type of beautiful.

Notthetoothfairy · 20/06/2019 21:06

I don’t agree that it was meant as a compliment - if it had been, he would quickly have corrected the OP when she pointed it out and certainly wouldn’t have followed it up with the silent treatment. My DH wouldn’t dream of insulting my weight and I am a lot heavier (“thicker”?) than the OP! I think PicsInRed has it and would tread with caution.

Proteinshakesandtears · 20/06/2019 21:07

He did try and correct her.

Obviously not very well. It was lost in translation.

Nadia86 · 20/06/2019 21:10

Like I said I didnt need his instagram research to prove his point.

OP posts:
Proteinshakesandtears · 20/06/2019 21:13

Tell him that, when you speak next.

But I think instead of explaining he was trying to show he meant it in a good way.

You arent skinny. Neither am I. I am bigger than you. 12/14. I have learnt to love my thick ass and thigh. I look great in a good pair of Jean's Wink

Tall and skinny is not an ideal. Everything else is not an insult

Mamamere · 20/06/2019 21:13

AmeriannGrinGrinGrin

Thequaffle · 20/06/2019 21:14

Toothfairy - the word “thick” is not a way of saying someone is fat / chubby / or anything else. You can be lean and thick. It’s a description of a woman that has curvaceous hips and thighs and chest but a flat stomach, slim arms etc and is otherwise toned.
Kim Kardashian = thick
Beyonce = thick
Tess Holiday = not thick
Kendall Jenner = not thick
Ariana Grande = not thick

Nadia86 · 20/06/2019 21:14

Sorry Im 5 foot 4 not 5 foot 6. But being short is not an issue here!

OP posts:
Nadia86 · 20/06/2019 21:16

Thank you everyone.Im going to sleep on it. I will have to message him if I dont hear from him by tomorrow.

OP posts:
Thequaffle · 20/06/2019 21:16

I have thick thighs and I’m working on getting the thick ass!