Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13253283 times)

MgoSam

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3684
  • Location: Minnesota
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9250 on: July 14, 2015, 09:14:43 AM »
Get ready for this ....

Me: Where are you going today???
Bingo - I took a half day off of work.
Me: Oh??When was the last time you went?
Sunday
Me: Oh?! Did you win???
NO I lost $700!!! I am going to make it back
Me: How much did you bring today?
$300


Me (To myself) WTF are you CRAZY!!!!! You took half day off of work to LOSE another $300 after losing $700!!!!!! You need a facepunching MACHINE installed in your car ... everytime you get into it to go to anywhere other than work you should be face punched ....

Meanwhile ... on my planet Mushtachian ... I off to have some delish homemade hummus and make my own coffee ... saving almost $5
Wow! That is some expensive bingo. I used to sometimes go to bingo with my sister as a cheap night out, it cost something like €5 a sheet and you could play up to four sheets, IIRC. Great night out, but, spending a grand on it in less than a week? Consider my gast truly flabbered!

And either they'll come back and say, "Lost it, but I'll win it back next week." Or they'll be smiling and tell you, "I'm on a roll! Going for triple next week...." This is why casinos win.

zolotiyeruki

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5591
  • Location: State: Denial
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9251 on: July 14, 2015, 09:22:44 AM »

... "master" is the male equivalent of "miss".
I thought "mistress" was the female equivalent of "master"

Mississippi Mudstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Danielsville, GA
    • A Riving Home - Ramblings of a Recusant Woodworker
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9252 on: July 14, 2015, 09:45:35 AM »

... "master" is the male equivalent of "miss".
I thought "mistress" was the female equivalent of "master"

Correct. According to Wikipedia, "Originating in the 17th century, it (miss) is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women."

LeRainDrop

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1834
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9253 on: July 14, 2015, 09:57:00 AM »
Growing up and living most of my life in Oklahoma, I've heard some interesting things said regularly... "might could" is one of them.  "Fixin' to" is another one that's used a lot.  As in "I'm fixin' to go to the store."  But my dad always used to say one that I am especially fond of.  He would say "how come" instead of why.  "How come it's taking you so long to get ready."  :)  I don't hear it often but whenever I do, it makes me smile.
I grew up outside Boston and now live in Atlanta.  I use "how come" every now and then.  I think it's a little softer way of saying "why."

zephyr911

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3619
  • Age: 45
  • Location: Northern Alabama
  • I'm just happy to be here. \m/ ^_^ \m/
    • Pinhook Development LLC
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9254 on: July 14, 2015, 10:05:43 AM »
Growing up and living most of my life in Oklahoma, I've heard some interesting things said regularly... "might could" is one of them.  "Fixin' to" is another one that's used a lot.  As in "I'm fixin' to go to the store."  But my dad always used to say one that I am especially fond of.  He would say "how come" instead of why.  "How come it's taking you so long to get ready."  :)  I don't hear it often but whenever I do, it makes me smile.
I grew up outside Boston and now live in Atlanta.  I use "how come" every now and then.  I think it's a little softer way of saying "why."
I've heard that one all my life regardless of region/culture within the US. I'm pretty sure my own use of it even predates my Southern phase.

Pooperman

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2880
  • Age: 34
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9255 on: July 14, 2015, 10:09:38 AM »

... "master" is the male equivalent of "miss".
I thought "mistress" was the female equivalent of "master"

In olden times, master and mistress were equivalent to Mr. and Mrs. (and those were contractions of them). At some point, they separated and took separate meanings. Today, master is for boys and young men (unmarried), miss is for girls and young women (unmarried). Mister and Missus for married people. Master isn't used much in the US due in part to its use during slavery, but it is common in the UK.

MishMash

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 731
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9256 on: July 14, 2015, 10:16:41 AM »
Our new inside sales guys were discussing "bulking up" which meant all kinds of talk of expensive whey powders (dude make some ricotta cheese and use the whey), different supplements, expensive shakes etc.  Coworker one reveals he spends roughly 500 a month on this stuff (and the dude is NOT buff, he's fat, like fat fat)...Coworker 2 however took the cake by revealing he not only spends about that but that he spends another 300 a month on ILLEGAL STEROIDS!!!  Mind you we work in a place with a drug policy, do a lot of government contract clearance work, and he is just starting out his career and this is one of those things that could tank his entire career and life.

Dr.Vibrissae

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 364
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9257 on: July 14, 2015, 10:56:34 AM »
So replacing the grammatically correct "on" with "of".

I guess so, but I never really thought about it before.

Technically this came up on my Facebook awhile ago and not at work, but there's an interesting explanation of this construction at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/of+a+morning (it goes on further, if anyone is really into the grammar derivation.)
Quote
Some speakers of vernacular English varieties, particularly in isolated or mountainous regions of the Southern United States, use phrases such as of a night or of an evening in place of at night or in the evening, as in We'd go hunting of an evening. This of construction is used only when referring to a repeated action, where Standard English uses nights, evenings, and the like, as in We'd go hunting nights. It is not used for single actions, as in She returned at night.

I personally love idiomatic speech and regional constructions, they make language more interesting and rich to my ears. One I noticed recently was the phrase 'get you some ___'.  I tend to have a low tolerance for non-standard or confusing habits in written communication, however.

secondcor521

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5493
  • Age: 54
  • Location: Boise, Idaho
  • Big cattle, no hat.
    • Age of Eon - Overwatch player videos
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9258 on: July 14, 2015, 12:28:31 PM »
Growing up and living most of my life in Oklahoma, I've heard some interesting things said regularly... "might could" is one of them.  "Fixin' to" is another one that's used a lot.  As in "I'm fixin' to go to the store."  But my dad always used to say one that I am especially fond of.  He would say "how come" instead of why.  "How come it's taking you so long to get ready."  :)  I don't hear it often but whenever I do, it makes me smile.

You learn something new every day.  I've been using "How come..." my whole life and I found out just now it isn't perfectly good English?!?  It is to my ears :-)

RetiredAt63

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 20709
  • Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9259 on: July 14, 2015, 12:37:41 PM »
How come you are all making fun of it?  Perfectly normal usage, eh?

Growing up and living most of my life in Oklahoma, I've heard some interesting things said regularly... "might could" is one of them.  "Fixin' to" is another one that's used a lot.  As in "I'm fixin' to go to the store."  But my dad always used to say one that I am especially fond of.  He would say "how come" instead of why.  "How come it's taking you so long to get ready."  :)  I don't hear it often but whenever I do, it makes me smile.

You learn something new every day.  I've been using "How come..." my whole life and I found out just now it isn't perfectly good English?!?  It is to my ears :-)

dragoncar

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9918
  • Registered member
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9260 on: July 14, 2015, 12:39:25 PM »
How come you are all making fun of it?  Perfectly normal usage, eh?

Growing up and living most of my life in Oklahoma, I've heard some interesting things said regularly... "might could" is one of them.  "Fixin' to" is another one that's used a lot.  As in "I'm fixin' to go to the store."  But my dad always used to say one that I am especially fond of.  He would say "how come" instead of why.  "How come it's taking you so long to get ready."  :)  I don't hear it often but whenever I do, it makes me smile.

You learn something new every day.  I've been using "How come..." my whole life and I found out just now it isn't perfectly good English?!?  It is to my ears :-)

Ya'll's grammar needs fixed.

MilStachian

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 94
  • Location: New England
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9261 on: July 14, 2015, 12:49:00 PM »
Our new inside sales guys were discussing "bulking up" which meant all kinds of talk of expensive whey powders (dude make some ricotta cheese and use the whey), different supplements, expensive shakes etc.  Coworker one reveals he spends roughly 500 a month on this stuff (and the dude is NOT buff, he's fat, like fat fat)...Coworker 2 however took the cake by revealing he not only spends about that but that he spends another 300 a month on ILLEGAL STEROIDS!!!  Mind you we work in a place with a drug policy, do a lot of government contract clearance work, and he is just starting out his career and this is one of those things that could tank his entire career and life.

MishMash; just an FYI.  If you have a security clearance it's in your interest to report this guy to company leadership.  I've seen a similar circumstance where one employee told another that he was using anabolic steroids.  When the steroid user was caught, both lost their jobs and their clearances.  Steroids are a Schedule III narcotic - not good.

rockstache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7270
  • Age: 11
  • Location: Southeast
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9262 on: July 14, 2015, 01:34:19 PM »
How come you are all making fun of it?  Perfectly normal usage, eh?

Growing up and living most of my life in Oklahoma, I've heard some interesting things said regularly... "might could" is one of them.  "Fixin' to" is another one that's used a lot.  As in "I'm fixin' to go to the store."  But my dad always used to say one that I am especially fond of.  He would say "how come" instead of why.  "How come it's taking you so long to get ready."  :)  I don't hear it often but whenever I do, it makes me smile.

You learn something new every day.  I've been using "How come..." my whole life and I found out just now it isn't perfectly good English?!?  It is to my ears :-)

Seriously. I was born and raised in Boston, traveled all over the country and the world, and have never had anyone laugh at or poke at my "how come." I thought everyone used it everywhere in English (as much as anything else is used in a language worldwide). My mind is blown.

Candace

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 582
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9263 on: July 14, 2015, 01:55:13 PM »
How come you are all making fun of it?  Perfectly normal usage, eh?

Growing up and living most of my life in Oklahoma, I've heard some interesting things said regularly... "might could" is one of them.  "Fixin' to" is another one that's used a lot.  As in "I'm fixin' to go to the store."  But my dad always used to say one that I am especially fond of.  He would say "how come" instead of why.  "How come it's taking you so long to get ready."  :)  I don't hear it often but whenever I do, it makes me smile.

You learn something new every day.  I've been using "How come..." my whole life and I found out just now it isn't perfectly good English?!?  It is to my ears :-)

Seriously. I was born and raised in Boston, traveled all over the country and the world, and have never had anyone laugh at or poke at my "how come." I thought everyone used it everywhere in English (as much as anything else is used in a language worldwide). My mind is blown.

Yep. I'm a bit of a stickler for grammar, and I've used "how come" my whole life. I've never had anyone call it incorrect before now.

MishMash

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 731
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9264 on: July 14, 2015, 02:10:33 PM »
Our new inside sales guys were discussing "bulking up" which meant all kinds of talk of expensive whey powders (dude make some ricotta cheese and use the whey), different supplements, expensive shakes etc.  Coworker one reveals he spends roughly 500 a month on this stuff (and the dude is NOT buff, he's fat, like fat fat)...Coworker 2 however took the cake by revealing he not only spends about that but that he spends another 300 a month on ILLEGAL STEROIDS!!!  Mind you we work in a place with a drug policy, do a lot of government contract clearance work, and he is just starting out his career and this is one of those things that could tank his entire career and life.

MishMash; just an FYI.  If you have a security clearance it's in your interest to report this guy to company leadership.  I've seen a similar circumstance where one employee told another that he was using anabolic steroids.  When the steroid user was caught, both lost their jobs and their clearances.  Steroids are a Schedule III narcotic - not good.

Oh one of our VPs was standing in the kitchen behind a wall about 5 feet away and he and I both heard it and just looked at each other...like why the hell would you say that to your coworkers that you've known less then a few months.  Said coworker doesn't hold a clearance but I don't think he will be employed for much longer. 

benjenn

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 283
  • Age: 59
  • Location: Gulf Shores, AL
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9265 on: July 14, 2015, 02:12:44 PM »

Yep. I'm a bit of a stickler for grammar, and I've used "how come" my whole life. I've never had anyone call it incorrect before now.

I didn't intend to offend anyone or insinuate they were wrong for their use of "how come"... it always reminds me of my dad and makes me smile.  Use it by all means!  I like to smile.  :)

Joggernot

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 510
  • Age: 78
  • Location: Gulf Coast, TX
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9266 on: July 14, 2015, 02:15:39 PM »
How come y'all missed this?  Found on Facebook today.
"Looking for a office job have lots of receptionist experience. Or anything of a morning to day time shift jobs."
Does this count for a use of "of a morning"?

And what about using "...ya hear?"
« Last Edit: July 14, 2015, 02:18:48 PM by Joggernot »

SweetLife

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 330
  • Location: Ontario
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9267 on: July 14, 2015, 02:27:02 PM »

[/quote]
Wow! That is some expensive bingo. I used to sometimes go to bingo with my sister as a cheap night out, it cost something like €5 a sheet and you could play up to four sheets, IIRC. Great night out, but, spending a grand on it in less than a week?

Consider my gast truly flabbered!
[/quote]

Ha ha ha funny!!! :)

zephyr911

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3619
  • Age: 45
  • Location: Northern Alabama
  • I'm just happy to be here. \m/ ^_^ \m/
    • Pinhook Development LLC
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9268 on: July 14, 2015, 02:30:19 PM »
Yep. I'm a bit of a stickler for grammar, and I've used "how come" my whole life. I've never had anyone call it incorrect before now.
I could see it growing out of (British) English in a fairly natural fashion.
For example:
Quote
How come ye by this place, good sir?

forummm

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7374
  • Senior Mustachian
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9269 on: July 14, 2015, 02:31:57 PM »
One I can't stand is "might could" meaning either "might" or "could", as in "I might could sing that song".

My favorite is when people have worked really hard to rid themselves of a "hick" accent, and then this slips out when they aren't paying attention. The mortification is epic!

I had a girlfriend who had this issue. There were 2 or 3 words where she couldn't say them without a drawl. It's interesting how those things get so ingrained and can't be changed.

forummm

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7374
  • Senior Mustachian
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9270 on: July 14, 2015, 02:35:27 PM »
As an Indian person, born in Canada, but lived in Atlanta for 20+ years I can't help but use y'all and find this comment more offensive than a lot of the recent race discussions from the Facebook thread.

Don't worry, I'm not mad over it just think it's interesting how American it is to throw around labels and classify people....

Sure, it's American. And Indian. And British. And Sudanese. And....

mtn

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1343
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9271 on: July 14, 2015, 02:36:50 PM »
One I can't stand is "might could" meaning either "might" or "could", as in "I might could sing that song".

My favorite is when people have worked really hard to rid themselves of a "hick" accent, and then this slips out when they aren't paying attention. The mortification is epic!

I had a girlfriend who had this issue. There were 2 or 3 words where she couldn't say them without a drawl. It's interesting how those things get so ingrained and can't be changed.

I understand that you can lose accents over time, but it really annoys me when people try to lose them on purpose.

To quote Jason Isbell, "Don't worry about losin your accent, cause a southern man tells better jokes"

Apples

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1371
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9272 on: July 14, 2015, 03:01:31 PM »

That's a shame. There are a few people I work with like that, but I think of them as quaint country-folk, not as the norm. I suppose over the years I've taught myself to separate people from their politics, since most people mean well, just haven't looked into the science and facts much.

I live and work in a rural area of a northern state.  I have had actual discussions with coworkers disagreeing that Obama has not, in fact, had the most Executive Orders ever.  This is something that is a fact, and can be found online.  But nope, the Dictator in Chief is definitely just sending out dozens of those babies every week.  Also, carbon dating is a giant worldwide conspiracy theory and they're doing it wrong, because the 6,000 years old earth as stated in the Bible is the way it really is. Oy.

And dinosaurs never existed the same folks insist. Wife gave up 15-20 mins to a coworker once who wanted to make his point that the world was only 6,000 years old and never any dinosaurs. This was a college educated person too...

Fossils are just something God made.  Also, same coworkers were trying to convince me last week that the Affordable Care Act was an Executive Order signed by Obama and Congress would have stopped it if they could have...

Pylon

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 20
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9273 on: July 14, 2015, 03:18:02 PM »
So replacing the grammatically correct "on" with "of".

I guess so, but I never really thought about it before.

Technically this came up on my Facebook awhile ago and not at work, but there's an interesting explanation of this construction at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/of+a+morning (it goes on further, if anyone is really into the grammar derivation.)
Quote
Some speakers of vernacular English varieties, particularly in isolated or mountainous regions of the Southern United States, use phrases such as of a night or of an evening in place of at night or in the evening, as in We'd go hunting of an evening. This of construction is used only when referring to a repeated action, where Standard English uses nights, evenings, and the like, as in We'd go hunting nights. It is not used for single actions, as in She returned at night.

I personally love idiomatic speech and regional constructions, they make language more interesting and rich to my ears. One I noticed recently was the phrase 'get you some ___'.  I tend to have a low tolerance for non-standard or confusing habits in written communication, however.

A woman I work with uses this quite frequently.  Usually with morning ("Of a morning, I'll eat breakfast at 7.")  She's from Oklahoma originally but has lived in Kansas for 50+ years.  She's the only one I've ever heard use the phrase.

Twenty4Me

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 38
  • Age: 48
  • Location: South Africa
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9274 on: July 14, 2015, 04:04:16 PM »
Reality returns: never mind, having short sighted employees can be useful too I'm sure. A previous employer liked to have folks up to their noses in debt (I think) - employees were a little desperate to keep their job and would work ridiculous hours and go dangerous places like the border towns of Mexico to manage projects.

Yep, that I know all too well. Eventually, after the first 3 years at my current job, my boss stopped trying to talk me into buying a new car ("When are you going to upgrade your car?" "Don't you think it's time for a new car?" etc). Of course, in the 6+ years that I've now been there, he's gone through 4 cars already himself, and has been upside down on each and every single trade-in.

As for the discussion on grammar and language, we've got a unique little expression here that I love...

Quote
now
now now
just now

Saying that you'll do something now, means you'll do it right away. Saying that you'll do something now now, means you'll do it soon. And, saying that you'll do something just now, means that it will be a while longer before you get to it.

forummm

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7374
  • Senior Mustachian
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9275 on: July 14, 2015, 04:40:06 PM »
Quote
now
now now
just now

Saying that you'll do something now, means you'll do it right away. Saying that you'll do something now now, means you'll do it soon. And, saying that you'll do something just now, means that it will be a while longer before you get to it.

Never heard of "now now". I would think it means "instantly"--reinforcing the immediacy of now.

Paul der Krake

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5854
  • Age: 16
  • Location: UTC-10:00
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9276 on: July 14, 2015, 04:53:17 PM »
Painfully witnessed in person at work: some guy completely flunked his in-person interview for a technical lead position. There had been two separate phone screens before hand, where the person appeared very knowledgeable and competent, whereas this guy was rambling platitudes and offering no specifics whatsoever when prompted.

We are now thinking that this guy paid an experienced professional to take the phone screen for him, somehow hoping that he could BS his way through the rest of the interview process. This company operates in an industry where background checks are notoriously thorough, so I don't know how he could possibly think that he could get away with this. Mind blown.

Twenty4Me

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 38
  • Age: 48
  • Location: South Africa
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9277 on: July 14, 2015, 05:05:52 PM »
Never heard of "now now". I would think it means "instantly"--reinforcing the immediacy of now.

Yes, you would think so, but not so in SA.

Cinder

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 468
  • Location: Central PA
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9278 on: July 14, 2015, 06:53:56 PM »
I bought a protein shake at the employee fitness center the other day, using my ID badge to pay for it, so it comes out of my paycheck. The guy behind the counter tried to tell me that those deductions are pre-tax, and didn't understand when I explained that they aren't. Someone else overheard and agreed with the first guy...

I wonder if they have some sort of 'health and fitness' amount that's provisioned for pre-tax.... I know though my work we get $200 that we can spend on things like gym fees, sports classes, and certain other types of purchases. 

tofuchampion

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 372
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Wilmington, NC
    • MadeByMarilynM
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9279 on: July 14, 2015, 09:44:14 PM »
I bought a protein shake at the employee fitness center the other day, using my ID badge to pay for it, so it comes out of my paycheck. The guy behind the counter tried to tell me that those deductions are pre-tax, and didn't understand when I explained that they aren't. Someone else overheard and agreed with the first guy...

I wonder if they have some sort of 'health and fitness' amount that's provisioned for pre-tax.... I know though my work we get $200 that we can spend on things like gym fees, sports classes, and certain other types of purchases.

Nope. I work at a hospital; we can use our badges to pay for extras at the gym (gym membership fee is also paid via payroll deduction), visits to the employee health clinic, cafeteria meals, and the gift shop. But these aren't part of any pre-tax amount; they're just purchases. I double-checked a recent paystub and it is definitely all post-tax.

HairyUpperLip

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 893
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9280 on: July 15, 2015, 07:32:15 AM »
As an Indian person, born in Canada, but lived in Atlanta for 20+ years I can't help but use y'all and find this comment more offensive than a lot of the recent race discussions from the Facebook thread.

Don't worry, I'm not mad over it just think it's interesting how American it is to throw around labels and classify people....

Sure, it's American. And Indian. And British. And Sudanese. And....

Can't we all just get along and hate everyone equally? :-P

forummm

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7374
  • Senior Mustachian
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9281 on: July 15, 2015, 07:36:19 AM »

I'm a red panda

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8186
  • Location: United States
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9282 on: July 15, 2015, 07:46:22 AM »
I was invited out to lunch today to celebrate payday.  I declined.

1) How do you celebrate something that happens every 2 weeks?
2) Why does the money being deposited in your account result in a need to immediately spend it?


I didn't even know it was payday, so I certainly am not going to celebrate.

HairyUpperLip

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 893
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9283 on: July 15, 2015, 07:56:51 AM »
I was invited out to lunch today to celebrate payday.  I declined.

1) How do you celebrate something that happens every 2 weeks?
2) Why does the money being deposited in your account result in a need to immediately spend it?


I didn't even know it was payday, so I certainly am not going to celebrate.

Today is my payday. I'm celebrating by doing "my books" and making sure all my money is in the right places. :)

But yeah, odd thing to celebrate.

mtn

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1343
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9284 on: July 15, 2015, 08:10:32 AM »
I was invited out to lunch today to celebrate payday.  I declined.

1) How do you celebrate something that happens every 2 weeks?
2) Why does the money being deposited in your account result in a need to immediately spend it?


I didn't even know it was payday, so I certainly am not going to celebrate.

Today is my payday. I'm celebrating by doing "my books" and making sure all my money is in the right places. :)

But yeah, odd thing to celebrate.

I celebrated payday today with coffee and breakfast! Paid a whole $5.04. But that was mostly due to my being in a huge rush to get out the door, and not having any quick food around.

Although now that I think about it, I don't think that I could have paid for that meal before today--I certainly can't now, 1.5 hours later. But that is mostly because I've already "spent" the whole paycheck on savings, retirement, rent, groceries, entertainment, etc.

Erica/NWEdible

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 881
    • Northwest Edible Life - life on garden time
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9285 on: July 15, 2015, 09:52:04 AM »
My husband recently converted from contract to FTE status at Gigantico USA. This comes with certain awesome perks, like cell phone discounts, 401K matching, subsidized insurance, etc.

On his first day as an FTE, DH learned from a coworker that one of the perks was, he could get a great deal on a Chrysler - "just 6% over dealer invoice!" - so therefore DH should run out and buy a brand new car to take advantage of the savings.

DH said, "well, our plan is pretty much to drive our car until the wheels fall off." Coworker said, "Oh, I thought that's pretty much where you were."

We have a 2007 Toyota 4Runner with 100k-ish miles on it. From our perspective it's basically a new car - just starting to get comfortably broken in. From CWs perspective our vehicle is so old and decrepit it must be replaced RIGHT NOW.

slugline

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1175
  • Location: Houston, TX USA
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9286 on: July 15, 2015, 10:05:30 AM »
I didn't even know it was payday, so I certainly am not going to celebrate.

I aspire to not notice payday like you someday, but seeing my net worth number tick upwards onscreen still activates the reward center in my brain. Also, my pay dates happen to coincide with the recycling schedule in my neighborhood, so oddly enough I have come to see the deposit notification as a reminder to take out my bins!

But, no, the occasion is not my green flag to spend either!
« Last Edit: July 15, 2015, 10:18:47 AM by slugline »

RyanAtTanagra

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1316
  • Location: Sierra Mountains
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9287 on: July 15, 2015, 10:10:43 AM »
I was invited out to lunch today to celebrate payday.  I declined.

1) How do you celebrate something that happens every 2 weeks?
2) Why does the money being deposited in your account result in a need to immediately spend it?


I didn't even know it was payday, so I certainly am not going to celebrate.

I didn't used to get this, but I recently started challenging myself with a strict spending budget (rent+$1000 in SF, it's been rough getting used to it), so I tend to be very 'broke' by the time payday comes around.  I found myself being excited about payday today so I could have some spending money again.  Sad way to live when you're actually broke every 2 weeks, but I understand the excitement over a paycheck to be able to spend now (vs most of us here that get excited for payday because we get to put more money into savings/investments).

zephyr911

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3619
  • Age: 45
  • Location: Northern Alabama
  • I'm just happy to be here. \m/ ^_^ \m/
    • Pinhook Development LLC
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9288 on: July 15, 2015, 10:27:22 AM »
I didn't used to get this, but I recently started challenging myself with a strict spending budget (rent+$1000 in SF, it's been rough getting used to it), so I tend to be very 'broke' by the time payday comes around.  I found myself being excited about payday today so I could have some spending money again.  Sad way to live when you're actually broke every 2 weeks, but I understand the excitement over a paycheck to be able to spend now (vs most of us here that get excited for payday because we get to put more money into savings/investments).
I hate that sensation so much that I use an entirely different approach - I don't set number limits, I just identify one spending category at a time and focus on changing my attitude toward it, one decision at a time. For example, eating out crept up to an unacceptable spending level, so I decided to reduce it. I place a very high value on socializing and staying connected (and my friend group is a source of real estate leads) so I don't refuse to eat out with friends, but I only accept every 2nd or 3rd meal invite. I snack ahead of time and go for cheaper options, and I make a point of inviting people to my place for delicious but inexpensive home-cooked options - like last week, when DW and I shared brunch with several friends for the cost of one entree at the usual dive. *poof* restaurant budget shaved by 60-80% on average; no feeling of deprivation or loss.

Overheard at work: one of our senior(ish) managers (secondhand) said he keeps working because of "greed". He has a fat military retirement and is rumored to have a million in the bank, but still drives a rickety 20-year-old van that spawns sex offender jokes daily. All signs are that he could retire any time but can't bring himself to give up the pay, regardless of need. To me, it sounds like like all the hard parts of Mustachianism without the fun (I'd infer SWAMI status but this one doesn't like the job any better than the average worker bee).

I'm a red panda

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8186
  • Location: United States
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9289 on: July 15, 2015, 10:36:24 AM »

I didn't used to get this, but I recently started challenging myself with a strict spending budget (rent+$1000 in SF, it's been rough getting used to it), so I tend to be very 'broke' by the time payday comes around.  I found myself being excited about payday today so I could have some spending money again.  Sad way to live when you're actually broke every 2 weeks, but I understand the excitement over a paycheck to be able to spend now (vs most of us here that get excited for payday because we get to put more money into savings/investments).

I guess that makes sense.

I don't keep any budget at all. I do have auto deposits to some accounts (obviously 403b then Roth IRA, and now the amount we will be spending on daycare into a taxable account, just to see how that effects the month to month- we expect not at all, really) then I just don't spend money on things I don't need (or really want), and when my checking account reaches a certain threshold I move the surplus to investment accounts.

It results in us hitting about 70% savings each year, so it seems to work.  That % is going to drop with the upcoming daycare expenses, but it shouldn't make a difference overall.

GuitarStv

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 23048
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9290 on: July 15, 2015, 01:29:33 PM »
So this was just sent to everyone in our office...

"Good afternoon:

I put up a poster on the bulletin board in the lunch room with the heading:

“Let’s talk about the Elephant in the Room”

Beside this poster I pinned a little gray elephant, in the hopes I would draw attention to the poster.

On numerous occasions when I have gone down to get myself a coffee, I have found the elephant removed and pinned up in what I guess is a humorous fashion on the board.

I have replaced the stuffed elephant and left no remarks, only to find it moved again and again the next time I go into the lunch room.

Today I found it on a table with tiny playing cards attached to its’ body.

I am really happy that the elephant has drawn so much attention, but the intent was to draw attention to Mental Illness (an Anti-Stigma Campaign).

Please take the time to read the information in the poster. Someone may need your support one day.

Thanks"


The stuffed elephant was getting more people talking about mental health than the poster was.

Clearly a sign that the stresses of working in your office have led to widespread mental illness.

cripzychiken

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 194
  • Location: Central Florida
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9291 on: July 15, 2015, 02:27:12 PM »
So this was just sent to everyone in our office...

"Good afternoon:

I put up a poster on the bulletin board in the lunch room with the heading:

“Let’s talk about the Elephant in the Room”

Beside this poster I pinned a little gray elephant, in the hopes I would draw attention to the poster.

On numerous occasions when I have gone down to get myself a coffee, I have found the elephant removed and pinned up in what I guess is a humorous fashion on the board.

I have replaced the stuffed elephant and left no remarks, only to find it moved again and again the next time I go into the lunch room.

Today I found it on a table with tiny playing cards attached to its’ body.

I am really happy that the elephant has drawn so much attention, but the intent was to draw attention to Mental Illness (an Anti-Stigma Campaign).

Please take the time to read the information in the poster. Someone may need your support one day.

Thanks"


The stuffed elephant was getting more people talking about mental health than the poster was.

So crazy lady hangs up a sign and an elephant and gets mad that people focus on the elephant?  That said, I would bring in other animals from home to join the elephant, he seems lonely.  Or replace the elephant and update the poster to talk about the "alligator" in the room.

eljefe-speaks

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 399
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9292 on: July 15, 2015, 02:29:28 PM »
And they never break character, no matter who they are.  I wear a fedora, and we went to the 50's cafe. I had a black waitress that was probably 30 years older than me, who kept calling me "massa".  I seriously looked at her the first time she did that and said, "wow, you people never break character do you?"  She didn't even change her expression.  She was a waitress, not an actress playing any known character.
She called you "massa"; you spoke to her, leading with "you people"; and she didn't even change her expression?!?!?!  This is so wrong on so many levels . . . *eyes bugging out of my head, ears bleeding*

+1

This blows my mind. Not sure if I could eat in an establishment that expects that of an employee. 

charis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3161
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9293 on: July 15, 2015, 02:34:03 PM »

I didn't used to get this, but I recently started challenging myself with a strict spending budget (rent+$1000 in SF, it's been rough getting used to it), so I tend to be very 'broke' by the time payday comes around.  I found myself being excited about payday today so I could have some spending money again.  Sad way to live when you're actually broke every 2 weeks, but I understand the excitement over a paycheck to be able to spend now (vs most of us here that get excited for payday because we get to put more money into savings/investments).

I guess that makes sense.

I don't keep any budget at all. I do have auto deposits to some accounts (obviously 403b then Roth IRA, and now the amount we will be spending on daycare into a taxable account, just to see how that effects the month to month- we expect not at all, really) then I just don't spend money on things I don't need (or really want), and when my checking account reaches a certain threshold I move the surplus to investment accounts.

It results in us hitting about 70% savings each year, so it seems to work.  That % is going to drop with the upcoming daycare expenses, but it shouldn't make a difference overall.

We don't really budget, but my allotments are arranged in accord with our average spending such that there is purposefully very little surplus in our checking except for smallish buffer.  I manually deposit money into our IRAs.  So if I decided to buy up before pay day to take advantage of a dip in the market, I am quite happy to see my paycheck deposited. I certainly wouldn't celebrate getting paid by spending unnecessarily, however.

MoonShadow

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2542
  • Location: Louisville, Ky.
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9294 on: July 15, 2015, 02:40:53 PM »
And they never break character, no matter who they are.  I wear a fedora, and we went to the 50's cafe. I had a black waitress that was probably 30 years older than me, who kept calling me "massa".  I seriously looked at her the first time she did that and said, "wow, you people never break character do you?"  She didn't even change her expression.  She was a waitress, not an actress playing any known character.
She called you "massa"; you spoke to her, leading with "you people"; and she didn't even change her expression?!?!?!  This is so wrong on so many levels . . . *eyes bugging out of my head, ears bleeding*

+1

This blows my mind. Not sure if I could eat in an establishment that expects that of an employee.

I don't think that was the case.  There were many other resturants she could have worked at within the same park, if the character profile was really offensive to her, but I was originally taken aback by it.  IIRC, she was the only black server at the time; so it's entirely possible she was the only black server willing to play that kind of character.  Like I said, she didn't even change her expression, which was quite pleasant, and she was a wonderful waitress.  That was one of my largest tips ever.  One of my gauges is that when I buy a 'bottomless' beverage, that I never see the bottom of that cup before my plate is clear.  I can remember exactly 2 times that a server did this one perfectly, and that meal at the 50's diner was one of them.

ohyonghao

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 638
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Hillsboro, OR
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9295 on: July 15, 2015, 05:33:23 PM »
... I studied several Romance languages at school and always appreciated being able to distinguish between the singular 'you' and the plural 'you', especially on the internet where tone fails can result in a lot of fallout. I therefore took to using "y'all" when I mean "you people generally" as it lessens the chance of an individual poster thinking that I am talking about (and possibly insulting) them personally. In this case I used it to distinguish between "you, the poster I am replying to" and "all of you Americans generally".

Careful! Y'all is often singular. Use "all y'all" to be sure.


Y'all is always plural; "all y'all" is reflexive or emphatic. :-)


Another option, used about as often as y'all in this area, is y'uns. Short for you 'uns, of course.

ETA a husband tells me "y'all" was pretty well universally adopted aboard ship (US Navy) because it fills a practical need.

What the heck are yinz talking about?

There's a Pittsburgher in the house!

The Chinese also have a word for y'all...ni men.

Still finishing up the thread, but I had to jump in on this.  Yes the Chinese have a word for y'all, ni men, they also have a word for inclusive y'all, zan men, which means y'all and I, though usage of zan men depends on what region you are in.  Interestingly, the Taiwanese dialect doesn't have a word for y'all, but instead uses the more colloquial term which is literally translated as big family, da jia, which is pronounced da gei in Taiwanese.  (For those that don't read roman pinyin it sounds like dah gay).

eliza

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 377
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9296 on: July 15, 2015, 07:34:54 PM »
Overheard at my office:

While discussing a recent surprise departure of a colleague.
Boss: Does anyone know where he went?
Shaken heads all around.
Boss: Well he couldn't have retired, he's not much older than me.

Me (Internally): And you are ~15 years older than me.  We are going to be having a very awkward conversation in the next couple of years.


And even more egregious, but not at work.  I had a bachelorette party where two of my fellow bridesmaids spent the entire trip gushing about their latest designer clothing, purses, shoes, watches, jewelry, etc.  Not my cuppa, but they both have good jobs so if they want to spend their money on such things it's their prerogative.  Cue random conversation with one of the Spendypants.

Spendypants: We really want to have children soon.  I'm not getting any younger.
Me: That's exciting.
SP: Well, I just don't think we can yet.
Me: (Trying to be sensitive, because I don't want to tread on potential fertility problems) Inarticulate noise meant to convey understanding and distress.
SP: Yeah, there's no way that we could afford kids.
Me: Oh, I guess children can be expensive.
SP: I don't know how anyone our age does it.
Me: I suppose once they have kids, they have to cut back some of their other spending.
SP: Well I couldn't make any cuts.  I hardly go out at all now.

I boggled for a few minutes remembering the brand new designer dress, three pairs of  new designer shoes, the new designer handbag and the new iWatch thing she had already shown me/bragged about this weekend. 

Le sigh.

antarestar

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 59
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9297 on: July 16, 2015, 07:12:16 AM »
And they never break character, no matter who they are.  I wear a fedora, and we went to the 50's cafe. I had a black waitress that was probably 30 years older than me, who kept calling me "massa".  I seriously looked at her the first time she did that and said, "wow, you people never break character do you?"  She didn't even change her expression.  She was a waitress, not an actress playing any known character.
She called you "massa"; you spoke to her, leading with "you people"; and she didn't even change her expression?!?!?!  This is so wrong on so many levels . . . *eyes bugging out of my head, ears bleeding*

+1

This blows my mind. Not sure if I could eat in an establishment that expects that of an employee.

I don't think that was the case.  There were many other resturants she could have worked at within the same park, if the character profile was really offensive to her, but I was originally taken aback by it.  IIRC, she was the only black server at the time; so it's entirely possible she was the only black server willing to play that kind of character.  Like I said, she didn't even change her expression, which was quite pleasant, and she was a wonderful waitress. That was one of my largest tips ever.  One of my gauges is that when I buy a 'bottomless' beverage, that I never see the bottom of that cup before my plate is clear.  I can remember exactly 2 times that a server did this one perfectly, and that meal at the 50's diner was one of them.

I wonder if she figured this would be the case with most tables and was willing to play the game for larger tips.

I'm a red panda

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8186
  • Location: United States
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9298 on: July 16, 2015, 08:09:10 AM »
And they never break character, no matter who they are.  I wear a fedora, and we went to the 50's cafe. I had a black waitress that was probably 30 years older than me, who kept calling me "massa".  I seriously looked at her the first time she did that and said, "wow, you people never break character do you?"  She didn't even change her expression.  She was a waitress, not an actress playing any known character.
She called you "massa"; you spoke to her, leading with "you people"; and she didn't even change her expression?!?!?!  This is so wrong on so many levels . . . *eyes bugging out of my head, ears bleeding*

+1

This blows my mind. Not sure if I could eat in an establishment that expects that of an employee.

Having been to that restaurant many times, I wonder if he misheard an accented pronunciation of "Mister".
"Massa" is certainly not something common there, if even existing. There is NO WAY Disney requires that of their cast members.

dragoncar

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 9918
  • Registered member
Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #9299 on: July 16, 2015, 10:28:36 AM »
And they never break character, no matter who they are.  I wear a fedora, and we went to the 50's cafe. I had a black waitress that was probably 30 years older than me, who kept calling me "massa".  I seriously looked at her the first time she did that and said, "wow, you people never break character do you?"  She didn't even change her expression.  She was a waitress, not an actress playing any known character.
She called you "massa"; you spoke to her, leading with "you people"; and she didn't even change her expression?!?!?!  This is so wrong on so many levels . . . *eyes bugging out of my head, ears bleeding*

+1

This blows my mind. Not sure if I could eat in an establishment that expects that of an employee.

Having been to that restaurant many times, I wonder if he misheard an accented pronunciation of "Mister".
"Massa" is certainly not something common there, if even existing. There is NO WAY Disney requires that of their cast members.

This was my thought too.  I didn't think 50s black waitresses called anyone "massa", that massa was much closer to slavery times.  I would also be very surprised that, even if historically accurate, Disney would want the political shitstorm that would come from having a black employee call a white patron massa.  As a non-black patron, it would be very uncomfortable.